What’s Saving My Life Again
A little bit of everyday beauty.
Every now and then, I make a list inspired by Barbara Brown Taylor’s question, which I found via Jen Hatmaker’s podcast: What is saving your life right now? I like doing these lists from time to time as a check in with myself to see what’s working, and I love being inspired by how other people answer the question too. So today, I’m joining this conversation that pops up all over the Internet:
What is saving my life right now?
Christmas stuff--the lights from the tree, the decorations out, the music in my car, the movies we watch, the peppermint in my coffee. It’s my favorite holiday, and I love that we celebrate it starting so much in advance. Last year, this season hurt my heart. My grandfather was in the nursing home and couldn’t be with us. My other grandmother had COVID, and we couldn’t be with her. My sister-in-law had COVID and we couldn’t be with them. I decorated early and poured cheerfulness on top of all the sadness, but it was still difficult in many ways. This year, I feel hope breaking through, shining like a slow sunrise. Maybe. I hope.
Doing my nails. I’m no genius at this, but I love having my nails done. I like to do them at night, when there’s something fun to watch, or a good book to read between coats. I feel more together when there’s polish on my nails.
Cooking. I used to feel exhausted at the thought of cooking, and would call Joe embarrassingly often to pick up pizza or Chick-Fil-A because I just couldn’t face it. Now I feel content and proud to look over the days and see how I have provided for my family. I like meal planning and trying new things and making old favorites and having leftovers for the next day (because there are still days when I am just exhausted). Cooking has become something that excites my curiosity, fills me with purpose, and makes me proud. But last week, when I roasted a chicken, did I still get Joe to clean out all the things inside before I started? Yes, because raw chicken is still disgusting, and I don’t see myself getting over that any time soon. (A side note: cooking has been on every single one of these lists I’ve made. Maybe I need to think more about this.)
Peppermint white mocha from Starbucks. I will forever be a red-cup enthusiast, and this particular coffee tastes like Christmas. I can’t get enough.
Laundry. I know it’s weird, but doing laundry is my favorite chore. Finishing the laundry still makes me feel rich--all these possibilities in a jumble on my bed waiting for me to bring order, and all these possibilities for how we will go into the world. I have to do laundry more often than I used to, but I still rarely mind it.
I’ve written answers to this question here and here. Making these lists is always fun, and helps me feel grateful for things that are good in my life. It’s even better when we share lists. So it’s your turn--what is saving your life right now?