I was listening to a podcast recently and the host said something about optimism and he said these two words together: ‘critical optimism’. He was talking about the times we are living in and how important optimism is for our health and well being.
I pressed pause.
I asked myself, "do I need to change the title of my Substack?”
And then I remembered that optimism might be critical and yet, it is still a choice. A choice we get to make. And one I have made and not made and even un-made then made again. How human of me.
Taking a beat today to list out things that are amazing because I want to:
My youngest child is 2 years old and she has taken to saying “mom, you’re the best” and it is the sweetest thing second to her other favorite phrase, “you’re mean, mom”. And I must tell you, the way she says “you’re the best”, it actually sounds like “you’re a mess” and in all honesty, both work.
My children believe in fairies and I love that. And I wonder if maybe I could? I was raised on the 1992 film, Fern Gully, I bet I could.
I finished the ‘A Court of Thorn and Roses’ book series (the ones that are avail that is, waiting on book 6!) last year and then embarked on her Throne of Glass series this year. Finished it. To be a mom of three kids and make time to read these ginormous books (I tandem read an 800 pager and a 900 pager at the same time NOT on kindle) feels beyond amazing.
When I started working out at the gym in March this year, I was coming back from a gnarly bout of bronchitis and a flu. My lungs were tight and I walked on the treadmill to start while practicing breathing exercises. Today, I pressed the landmark button on my stair stepper and climbed the Eiffel Tower! And I feel really amazing.
My oldest daughter noticed me driving over the speed limit and with the snark of her father said to me when I asked her what she was thinking about, “oh, I was just thinking about how when I am older that I can’t wait to drive the speed limit”.
I made my first berry bowl in ceramics class last week!
And then this week I tried to make a coil pot and it was a swing and a miss. But it is some weird shaped bowl and I still think it will be amazing. Because art!
The two older girls recorded for Chris a Father’s Day meditation as he has been meditating the last year and we wanted him to have a custom one. They read from a script and everything! Our youngest tried but kept yelling. We kept that blooper recording, too and gave it to him.
The sun has been out more this month of June than it was the entirety of last Summer here in Maine.
Speaking of sun, aren’t people who sun their b*ttholes so interesting? If you didn’t know, there are people that do. Humans are amazing.
I read a note recently that said public libraries are one of the only public spaces left that you can go into where there is not an expectation for purchase. And I can’t stop thinking about that.
My best friend got married!
Super lame but I have to tell you, my screen time was down in a recent Sunday report. You know how your phone updates you each week? I was way down! It really is the little things, folks.
I know Justin Timberlake just got in trouble, I mean my screen time was lower but still there. However, how is no one talking about how good the music is in the recent installation of the Trolls movies, Trolls Band Together? Millennials who listened to NKOTB, Boyz II Men, NSYNC and Backstreet Boys, run don’t walk because it is so good.
It is SUMMER!
There was an older man today at my gym working out on a bike and he had a nasal cannula and oxygen tank next to him. He is amazing.
I met a winemaker this week from France and he was telling me all about his biodynamic farming methods and now I want to buy all my wine only from them and places that love the Earth. And the cab franc was divine and the rosé, so crisp! What is biodynamic wine? Here you go.
Should I take a sommelier class?
Farmer’s Markets are amazing. You get to meet the farmer, the healer, the knitter, the baker right there standing at their table in front of their art and see them truly sharing what they love. And then support them! Wow.
I switched all my coaching offerings right now to pay-what-you-can. Let’s see how this goes.
My office in my house has every single wall covered in my children’s art. No frames. Painter’s tape for the win.
I still cannot believe the moon is in charge of ocean waves. Incredible.
And how a lot of trees are planted because squirrels forgot where they hid their acorns in the ground for the upcoming Winter. Come on? Truly amazing.
My middle daughter got a bracelet making kit for her birthday. If I am not mistaken, there are about 3,000 tiny colorful rubberbands in the kit. A lot of them have become bracelets. Others are decor … now all over the house. She wore 11 bracelets to summer camp today. Love it.
I am writing to you while eating a bowl full of cherries. I am almost too much.
Today someone was so brave and sent me a poem they wrote to guest publish on my poetry posts and it felt like magic.
….
Sigh.
That was easier than I thought it would be.
Gahhhhh, this is all truly wonderful. Thank you for sharing! xx
All of these are truly amazing, thank you for your gift of pen to paper
!
And I love optimism, not only as a choice, but as a chance to let the heart space energy flood out of the body. So good!