For The Parts of Your Life on “Pause”
Have you ever been watching a show or a movie, and had to stop it before it was finished? Maybe your popcorn was done in the microwave, your friend or partner had to grab a drink, or at the worst time possible, you had to go to the bathroom. You, or the person holding the remote, hit “pause.” Now, most times, it’s not a big deal. In five or ten minutes, you’re back on your couch, holding your popcorn, and watching your show. But every now and then, something happens and you can’t get back. The phone rings and it’s [...]
A Single Person’s Bucket List (repost)
With it being Valentine's Day on Sunday, I thought I'd re-share one of my most popular posts from 2020 all on singleness. Though the pandemic has changed the way one may go about writing/fulfilling their bucket list, I would say it is more important now more than ever. When I was in college, a relationship expert came to speak at our Chapel* one day. As the historical joke/motto for our school was to expect a “ring by spring” if you were dating someone, it seemed fitting. Though I went to college for my education (and maybe, to meet a boyfriend), many [...]
No One Prepared Us for Married Life in a Pandemic
"You don't marry someone you can live with, you marry the person you cannot live without.” — P.S. I Love You For longer than any of us have been alive, there have been movies about love. For centuries before that, there were plays. Acted out stories that have made us think and even dream about romance. Ones that have shaped the way we view relationships and marriage. Only, None of them prepared us for marriage in a pandemic. For almost eleven months, Tony and I have been working from home together. Not only that, but we’ve moved into our first [...]
The Secret to Keeping Your New Year’s Goals
Every year, the United Nations publishes a World Happiness Report. For many years now, Denmark has been at the top of that list. And I remember, a number of years ago, an article came out saying that Denmark is the happiest place to live, because Danes have lower expectations for their lives. This claim that expecting less so you’re pleasantly surprised with what you get, has since been refuted. It is now said, Danes expect free healthcare, free education, longer maternity/paternity leave, and in general have a better work life balance. Which lately has me wondering—is it possible that they [...]
What I’m Returning to in 2021
Unless we’re talking about the return of our favorite TV show, the word “return,” doesn’t always feel good. For example, if you’re returning home to move back in with your parents, because you don’t have your next step in life, it may sting of defeat. “Returning to the scene of the crime” doesn’t only refer to a bank that’s been robbed, but also to places where we’ve messed up. Maybe even places where we’ve been hurt. And, “Returning to the gym” isn’t often a very promising phrase either. In many situations, Returning doesn’t have a victorious ring to it. It [...]
Finding What Feeds Us As the Pandemic Lingers
A few Sundays ago, Tony and I had a bad mood day. I’d had a terrible dream the night before, waking up with this awful feeling I couldn’t shake. And, as we work from home, we hadn’t left the house in too many days to count. We wanted to get out and do something—only because of the Pandemic and cold winter weather, our options were basically shopping, or shopping. Whenever we used to feel like we needed a break from life, pre-pandemic, we always hit the road. Though we knew our dilemma was basically champaign problems, we felt so discouraged [...]
