The Simple Life
Embracing everyday joys make life worth living
When I was a child I could lose myself for hours wandering around outdoors, catching butterflies, playing with sticks, taking in every bit of nature that I could. I loved reading in my room all afternoon. As a teenager, I discovered the joy of taking a ridiculously long hot bath on a Saturday afternoon, then wrapping my hair in a towel and making a batch of cookies or a peach cobbler from scratch.
I believe that being able to enjoy the mundane moments has made me more emotionally resilient as an adult. Even throughout the worst years of my life when I was dealing with abusive relationships, unemployment or low-paying jobs, I never stopped appreciating the beauty of a sunny afternoon, a talk with a friend, or the calm presence of a cat purring on my lap.
When everything else in my life was complete shit, I found joy where I could. During the years when I had to buy my groceries on credit, I took great joy and satisfaction in making a big batch of black bean soup that I could eat for a week. Cooking on Sunday afternoons for the week ahead became an act of self-love rather than a chore. Later on during my second marriage, I translated my love of Sunday cooking into a bi-monthly “First Sunday” event for friends and family. And I enjoyed every minute of it.
