These past few months my overarching mood can somewhat inadequately be described as: ‘heavy.’ Obviously there’s a lot going on in our world at the moment, and much of it is incredibly disheartening. As someone who’s melancholic disposition moves them toward focusing on the negative to begin with, events ‘out there’ as well as going on in my own life have left me…struggling.

And I don’t think I’m the only one.

So I thought it might be helpful to (re)start focusing on the more positive things and to share them, in an effort to get out of this ‘slump’ which–while quite understandable–is not the most conducive to living a healthy/productive/balanced life.

Worth a shot, right?

So I guess the question is, what on earth am I excited about this week?!

1. ‘If’ by Rudyard Kipling.
   I made it a goal to memorize this poem last month and I thoroughly enjoyed doing so. I mainly did it in the car with the help of this recording. My brother had to learn this when we were in grade school and somehow last year I vaguely remembered enough to look it up and figure out who wrote it. It’s for men (Rudyard Kipling wrote it to his son), but I still think the inspirational aspect can touch anyone who reads it. Also, memorizing poetry in general is definitely a long-lost art that is making its way back into my life and I’m very excited about it.
2. This Verily Playlist
   I have really enjoyed many of the playlists Verily Magazine puts together. This one is perfect for summer in Charleston as we have afternoon storms frequently. I highly recommend checking out there other playlists, too, I’ve found several songs that I love from them.
3. Tobit
   The book of Tobit is in the Old Testament of the Catholic Bible (I’m not sure if it’s in all editions or not) and normally I find the Old Testament more confusing than clarifying–it takes a fair amount of patience and a good set of footnotes to decipher the ancient text. However, a few girlfriends and I have started reading it together and I’ve found Tobit to be truly beautiful. Even with my limited understanding of Scripture, the language and sentiments throughout this story are consoling to those of us who are in the midst of difficulty or who may struggle with the concept of suffering.
   The third chapter begins with: “Then in my grief I wept, and I prayed in anguish, saying, ‘Righteous are you, O Lord; all your deeds are just and all your ways are mercy and truth…” (Tobit, 3:1-3).
4. Skin Savior Multi-Tasking Wonder Balm
   It’s amazing. I don’t use many ‘beauty products’, mainly because I don’t try them and am normally disappointed when I do. But this one came recommended from a trustworthy source and I love it. I can really tell a difference in how my skin looks and feels after using it and it smells so good.
5. Needlepointing
   Shout out to my mom for this one. One of the things we did together way back when quarantine was first starting was go to the needlepoint shop downtown Charleston. My mom got really into it after I gave her a canvas for her birthday and her enthusiasm encouraged me to try it, too. As strange as it may sound, it’s actually incredibly therapeutic–especially when combined with a good podcast or audiobook. It’s honestly super easy and there are a plethora of youtube videos on how to get started.
   If you don’t live in Charleston, some cute canvas can be found here and here (I have my eye on a couple from Morgan Julia for my next project).

So here’s to finding things that lift our spirits a little this week.

with love,

Miranda