The things that soften life are often ordinary.
I have a favorite spoon and bowl that I eat out of. The spoon is old and slightly bent, and the bowl is nothing fancy, but I love them. Seriously. Sounds strange, but it is true. When I eat my ice cream, if I don’t have them, the ice cream just doesn’t taste as good.
Same thing about a tree I enjoy sitting under. It’s nothing special. In fact, it’s in a parking lot. It sits alone at the end of a building in a corner. I discovered it one day while I was out shopping. I needed to use my phone, and it was hot out, so I parked under the tree.
Ever since that day, whenever I’m out and I want to grab a bite to eat or work on my calendar, I drive over to that parking lot and sit. Last week, I had a strawberry dessert. There was something about the shade of the tree and the quiet surroundings that made the dessert taste even sweeter.
Peaceful spaces are often built quietly through familiar comforts and everyday things we take for granted.
I’ve always been drawn to spaces that feel calm. That doesn’t always mean traditional spaces.
Peace or calm can mean different things to different people.
Often those spaces are expected to be grand, like spa treatments, mountains, or a sandy beach, but mine are often ordinary.
I enjoy all of those things, but sometimes it can mean lying in bed at five a.m. while it is still dark and no one in the house is stirring. I love that time in the morning where the only sounds I hear are the hum of the fan and the baby birds outside my window.
It could also be the ten minutes of peace in the bathroom before someone knocks or the dogs scratch at the door.
Ordinary things.
Sipping my favorite tea.
Curlin up with a good book.
Watching my dogs lick peanut butter or bob for blueberries in water.
In a world that sometimes can feel overwhelming and even scary, it’s the small things that somehow make things feel a little softer.
The things that give us comfort don’t have to be perfect; they just have to do one thing…comfort.
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