New Seasons

 (photo by Katie McBroom Photo)

This is what our family looks like now. Our big girl got married last weekend! They've been together 10 years and have already weathered many storms. We are wishing them a lifetime of calmer seas. I will be posting more photos later. The photographer was just amazing! Well, everything about the day was amazing!

Now that my to do lists and energy aren't focused on wedding prep, I'm settling into our quiet, cozy empty nest -for however long that lasts. Projects either got done or didn't and either way my mind has moved on to other priorities. To be honest, a priority I'm not historically good at focusing on...me.

The cadence of my days has shifted, like the seasons themselves. The things giving me pleasure are simple: baking bread, these scones, getting to know my camera again, taking a couple of online classes, occasional naps, reading- an extensive list of other pleasures. I continue to do what needs to be done to keep our home and lives on track, but I've realized that To Do list isn't going anywhere and I'm tired of trying to cross all the boxes off and feeling guilty when I fail. And I almost always fail. I'm often guilty of feeling like I can't take any pleasure from life until all of the work is done. The curse of the good work ethic. I'm guessing I'm not the only one among us who feels this way.

As I settle into a new flow that allows for taking time in the afternoons for creative pursuits, I find myself feeling excited to get up every day. It has been awhile since I have felt that way and didn't even realize it had slipped away until that old friend showed back up. I'm replenishing my spirit which in turn pays off in a myriad of ways.

We are battening down the hatches over here and tucking in for a long winter's nap. There is no telling what the next months will look like but I think it is going to be more important than ever that we find ways to be happy. 

While I will surely be missing people I love dearly, I know that there will be an end to this and I imagine the depth of gratitude we will feel for something as simple as a warm hug, seeing a movie or going away for the weekend, will be unlike anything we could have imagined. For the present moment, I'm going to make a point of focusing on the positives and finding happiness in the small, quiet moments. That's where the peace lives.