it's the little things
on small tasks and small joys...with a prompt
Today, after an early afternoon Zoom meeting, I took my second walk of the day around the little lake near our house. It was drizzling slightly, peaceful, deserted. After weeks of ridiculously hot days, the rain felt like a respite, a deep breath. And, due to the little bit of precipitation we’ve finally received in the past two days, the wildflowers around the lake are blooming, the bees are buzzing, and there was even a baby bunny nibbling and hopping the perimeter. Flowers, raindrops, insects, bunnies. These are all small joys. And I embrace them.
I find that this summer has me letting down my guard a bit, trying to be content with less, with smaller. I’ve stopped tracking my food intake or obsessing over workouts. I’m not pushing myself to try and write when I don’t have any impetus to do so. I’m tackling yard or house work in small increments instead of spending hours at once wrecking my back. And I’m stopping to take photos on my daily walk instead of pushing my pace to just get it done.
I’ve also been trying to notice little things that make me happy in the moment. A scoop of butter pecan ice cream at Summerfest. (Which according to some survey makes me a boomer, but I don’t care. It’s delicious.) A cold, cold drink after a run on a hot day. Listening to live music, even if the band isn’t a favorite. Sleeping in. Petting my friend Amy’s dogs since I miss having ours around.
And although I have not been writing much of anything new and I haven’t been making any art, I have been enjoying smaller tasks related to those disciplines:
Proofing my collection Unrivered, which comes out in October.
Making notecards to send to the Issue Three contributors of Asterales.
Making revisions and notes for a YA novel I almost completed 4 years ago and am interested in revisiting. (It’s set in a waterpark, and it is loosely based on Moby Dick. Sorry, I’m weird.)
Trying to send out one poetry submission per week.
Reading and listening to audiobooks more.
Sitting down and dipping into a poetry collection two-or-three poems at a time instead of reading the whole thing at once.
And, as always, I relish small moments at home with my husband, on the phone with my son, or out sharing a meal or a walk with friends, especially those who are still teaching and share any piece of their precious summer with me. Anne Sexton’s poem “Welcome, Morning” ends with the line, “The joy that isn’t shared, I’ve heard, dies young.” So I’m sharing it, even though it’s in small doses.
IF YOU WANT TO WRITE:
Make a list of small things that make you smile. They can be physical items (like a Funko Pop from your favorite movie), experiences (like a cold drink in the heat), foods, music, feelings, quirks of people you love.
Choose two and try to explain WHY they bring you joy. (For example, I mentioned butter pecan ice cream above. Why does it bring me joy? For one, my husband doesn’t like it and we usually share ice cream when we go out for it, so I don’t often choose it. It’s a rare treat. But also, when I was a kid, my mother and I were the only ones in our house that liked it, so when she would bring it home, I knew it was just for us.)
Choose the one that seems the most interesting to you and try to use it in a poem or a story.
Amy's dogs say, come over anytime!