Every month I chronicle experiences and things that I love and make a difference in my everyday life. The ordinary sustains us. Here are a few of my everyday delights in March:
1. This Pillow. I love the message on this pillow that sits on my bookshelf. When I exit my office, it is always catches my eye. I am reminded immediately of the quote, by Plato, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” More and more I learn how much truth is in these words. When I discovered this pillow at Paper Source, one of my favorite stores for stationery, cards, and pens, I knew it had to be part of my everyday life.
2. This 5-Year Journal. I love journals and writing my thoughts down on paper. I am faithful to my 5-year journal. I’ve had this particular writing companion since 2010. It allows you to write a line or maybe two and then you can compare what happened on the same day during the previous year. Some days I discover I am moving forward, while other times I realize I am still stuck in the same place.
3. This Pendant. My sister knows how much I love time and for my birthday last year, she surprised me with a pendant that I adore. It is the Mayan calendar. The passage of time is a place where I struggle, find joy, and where I gain the most insight.
4. This Book. I am currently immersed in the book, This Is Where I Leave You, by Jonathan Tropper. It is funny, complicated, and the writing is poignant and lyrical.
Welcome! I am a lawyer turned freelance writer, essayist, and editor. On staff at Literary Mama and the co-founder and co-editor of the literary journal, The Sunlight Press, my essays and reported work have appeared in The Washington Post, The Lily, Saveur, Civil Eats, Brain, Child, ESPN and elsewhere. I am currently at work on a memoir on grief and culture and how it provides perspective on life’s ordinary graces. I invite you to appreciate the ordinary with me. I hope my daily practice of seeing the magic in the mundane helps you celebrate and find more of these moments in your life too.
I love the message on the pillow, and the Plato quote. Who said “be kinder than necessary”? I love that one too. Great post.
Welcome, Eli!
That Plato quote is one of my all time favorites. There is so much wisdom packed into very few words.
Love the pendant, how sweet your sister took such care in purchasing you the perfect gift.
Susan,
I am a hard person to shop for and she bought me a gift that I will cherish forever.
I think it is wonderful to have these reminders in your life, and it’s even better that you have the ability to appreciate them. Kudos!
Thanks, Windy. It is a conscious practice to honor ordinary goodness. I always surprise myself when I sit down to write these posts.
I love the idea of your 5-year journal. I used to keep a calendar on the kitchen wall. There I chronicled our life in its little boxes. I saved these calendars and often looked back at them. In one of the moves we made in the past 4 1/2 years, I threw away my calendars. It is my only regret about the many items with which I parted ways (sold, gave away, or threw away).
Robin,
So sorry that your calendars are no longer with you. If you enjoyed chronicling time, I really hope you may consider the 5-year-journal. It has often been the source of comfort, nostalgia, and reflection for me.
I love that pillow! I entered a Kindness Challenge a few years ago and performing an act of kindness everyday has become a daily habit that I enjoy.
What a sweet sister you have.
I love journals too. My first book was born from my journal and it appears the second one will be too.
Have a blessed weekend.
Doreen,
Welcome! I love that you cultivate kindness as a part of your daily life. It is a conscious practice to live this way.
Journals offer so much wisdom and a place to call home.
Love this, Rudri. I love the gratitude journal that you sent to me. I look back on it and other journals and it brings me back to those moments. Great share here.
Ayala,
Glad you enjoyed the gratitude journal. I love collecting journals, but my 5-year-book is one that I absolutely adore. It offers a chance to write and gives me perspective.
I need that pillow!!
I love your treasures. I also wish I had picked up This is Where I Leave You. I had seen it more than once at my library sales and hesitated each time. I’m glad you are really enjoying it!
Thanks, Cecilia. This Is Where I Leave You is an interesting read and explores many real life issues. The humor is laugh-out-loud funny. I hope you have a chance to read it.