positivity

A Bittersweet Christmas Present

/ Katie / 22 Comments

After over a year, we’ve finally sold our beloved Tail Feathers.

It’s a relief, and honestly, feels like a gift after the financial panic we’ve been feeling. We didn’t anticipate it taking so long to sell, but things in Northern Virginia being as uncertain and unstable and scary as they are…well, that’s all I should probably say without getting overtly political.

ANYWAY.

It’s been really tough on both our wallets and our hearts to carry it for so long, is what I’m getting at. And now, it’s done. And boy are we feeling lots of feelings.

It’s bittersweet, saying a final goodbye. It was the first house we ever lived in together that truly felt like a home, and the first we made our own. We’re heartbroken, and we’re relieved, and we’re happy to see it no longer sitting empty and waiting. We left it better than we found it, even if we left it sooner than we thought we would. I hope the new owners enjoy it, and take care of it, and fill it with joy and good memories. I hope they love it just like we did, and more.

With all the stress of the sale – and some health news in the family that is not mine to share – it’s not been quite the holiday season I wanted. But I’m still grateful that we are where we are, able to get back on even footing money-wise, here and happy and loved, and constantly chasing after our beautiful, brave Lucy, who is fascinated by all things Christmas. Sometimes you just have to choose to be happy, and this year, in spite of everything (again, not trying to get overtly political), I am choosing to be happy.

And I hope you are, too. I hope you have a wonderful and happy whatever you celebrate, and that your season has been full of peace and light and good things. As we come into Christmas week, I wish all of us warmth and calm, and love. So much love.

Merry Christmas, and here’s a big hug from me to you. I needed one, and now you have one, too.

Merlin’s Monday Reminder

/ Katie / 2 Comments

When you’re anxious, when you’re busy, when life just feels a little overwhelming…

Smile. Laugh. Be positive. Because mindset is a powerful thing.

(Short story up in Wednesday, so come back and visit! Wishing everyone a good week of creating and being awesome.)

Some Phone Call; Or, What We All Need to Hear (A Poem)

/ Katie / 5 Comments

Hello?
Hello?
Can you hear me?
It’s me, that is, you,
calling from the future –
not so distant but who’s counting
as we edge closer to forty –
to tell you:
Drink more water.
And please eat the cake.
Tell people you love them,
and share what you like.
Getting laughed at isn’t so bad.
Remember that time we forgot
that thing? Yeah, that really important thing?
Turns out, it wasn’t so important after all.
Funny how that happens.
I wish I could say
in sentences that make sense and feel complete
that I’m proud of us,
even though we often forget to eat.
(You should probably work on that.)
That we should sing more and worry less.
That it’s okay we can’t ride a bike.
(No, you still haven’t tried to learn.
No, you don’t really care.)
And your hair? Luxurious. Leave it.
(And say thank you for the compliment,
instead of just nodding your head, awkwardly.)
You’re not a mess.
At least, not any more than anyone else.
We’re all just out here,
pretending to know what we’re doing,
even after all these years.
So don’t let fear get in your way, okay?
Okay?
If I had more time…
Can you…
I’m losing…
…just one…thing
…
…

I Love Mondays

/ Katie / 14 Comments

Strange? Maybe. But true.

Back when I was still working a corporate job, I used to dread Mondays. I’d stay up late on Sunday nights, just trying to squeeze a little more time out of the weekend. I’d sit in bed and replay the previous week, I’d worry about issues and deadlines, and I’d wonder, over and over again, how I had ended up in a job I hated so much. It wasn’t pretty.

Now, all these years later, and after working hard to build the kind of life I’ve always wanted, I genuinely look forward to Mondays. I head into every new week excited about what I can do with my time and how I can write and read and volunteer and actually see my friends and eat dinner before 9:00 p.m. every night. I enjoy making a list on Sunday evenings so that I can start the week out strong. I wake up happy. I wake up ready for a new start and fresh week.

What a change.

I’m grateful that I can feel this way. I know it’s a privilege, and I know I’m lucky. And I’m really feeling that today – the sun’s shining and it’s warm outside, Merlin and Annie are both looking out of the windows trying to spot their favorite little creatures, and Graham’s sitting at the kitchen table, working away on his own stuff. It’s a good day. It’s a good life. These last few months have certainly been better than the ones that came before.

I’m happy. I’m grateful. I’m determined to make this a good week, and it starts today.

(And I hope it’s a good week for you, too!)

Even If (A Poem)

/ Katie / 16 Comments

Today, I want the world
to know:
that the sadness won’t beat me,
that the heartbreak won’t stop me,
and the fear of bad things happening
might slow me down,
but I will
keep going.
Even if I have to crawl.
That’s all.

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: A Good Laugh

/ Katie / 20 Comments

“Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.” –Lord Byron

I love to laugh. I think a good laugh can work a whole host of miracles – cheering you up when you’re sad, releasing tension, just generally making the world feel a little less daunting, and also, decent pictures of me actually existing.

My friend got a new phone over the weekend and snapped this picture as he was trying it out. I don’t know what I was laughing about, but I’m glad he captured the moment. And I figured I’d share it today, just in case anyone reading also needs a good laugh. You never know, right?

There Is Love

/ Katie / 8 Comments

Everywhere. All around. In the brightest and the darkest places. Written on the faces of fathers and mothers, siblings, partners, and friends that become family. On every road, down every path, no matter the wrong turns and false starts, it’s still out there.

And you’re worthy of it.

You deserve it.

So, here’s your reminder, if you need it:

In this world, there is love. Yes, there’s hate, and fear, and anger, and sadness, but also, there is love.

You are loved.

Sunday Supper #5: Happy New Year!

/ Katie / 19 Comments

Hello, 2022! It’s lovely to meet you, and I hope you’re kind to us. Like, seriously. Please.

That’s pretty much where I am today. We had a lovely Christmas, and a very low-key New Year’s Eve and Day, and this evening, I’m mostly just pondering possibilities and wondering what this newest of years will bring. I’ve not made any Very Big Plans, though I have jotted down some goals, especially in regards to my creative work. More to come on that, and I think it’s going to be exciting.

But for now, I’d like to leave you with wishes for a wonderful, fulfilling, peaceful, exciting, creative, memorable, and most of all, a happy New Year. I hope you do cool stuff, make mistakes, learn, grow, draw, paint, dance, cook, eat, sing, read, write, and just generally live the best you can. And if you ever need a cheerleader, know I’m here, in your corner, even from the other side of the world, and I think you got this, whatever it is. Make 2022 a good one, y’all, and I’ll do the same.

Oh, and for supper: Taco Bell. Don’t judge. What’s a good year without a few tacos? 😉