Calm Amongst the Chaos

Well, I don't know about you, but I think today seems like a lovely day for searching out calm, quiet, peace and stillness. There have been a lot of days like that over the last several months and I feel certain there will be a lot more over the next several months.

Reading has been a lifelong escape into other worlds for me, whether it's a magazine or a book. I love to travel to other places on the wings of words. Lately I have been drawn to stories from childhood and I think the nostalgia has been most welcome.

Journaling is a great way to process my feelings or just get them out of my head and onto the page. Pasting pretty pictures into my journal takes me to a whole new level of comfort.

Time in the kitchen is always well spent for me. Tonight I'm making a big pot of Jambalaya because there is something soul filling about the act of chopping things up, throwing them into a pot and simmering them slowly on the stove top. Maybe I'll get around to baking cookies and share them with neighbors because they probably need some cheer right now also.

Getting lost in my hobbies probably brings me more comfort than anything. Knitting is meditation, photography helps me really see my surroundings and brings the beauty into focus. It helps me center my thoughts in gratitude for all that I have.

There are any number of ways to bring calm to the day. Turning off the news and signing out of social media are probably the single most effective things but some other things that bring me peace are:

-Getting out in nature

-Watching some comfort TV or movies. For me that's You've Got Mail or Gilmore Girls or maybe something on the Hallmark channel

-Doing some yoga, breathing or meditation

-Organizing something or cleaning the house. Sometimes it helps to feel like we have control of something

-Putting on some cozy music and lighting some candles or turning on some twinkle lights. 

-Counting my blessings. Forever and Always. No matter what.

Today, I wish a lot of things. More than anything- peace and health for all of us. I wish I could do a random act of kindness for each of you. I would bring a plate of cookies and leave them on your doorstep, ring the bell, stand back and tell you Hi! I just wanted you to know I was thinking about you today! Since I can't do that I'm leaving you with this cozy Christmas playlist I've been listening to on repeat. If it's too soon for you, save it for later! Be kind to yourself today. And tomorrow. Rinse and repeat.