Little Things

Hello!

It's been a little while, and a lot has changed in the world since my last post.

I don't have to explain what's going on- all of us are being affected in one way or another, and the entire world is facing a lot of unknowns right now.

It's definitely turned out to be a crazy season of life. I left my college campus for spring break two weeks ago, expecting to go back to my usual routine after spending a few days with my family and then going on a road trip to Nashville, TN with some friends.

However, our first night in Nashville is when we heard that our spring break was extended and that our classes would be moved online for the foreseeable future. We were asked to move out of our dorms, and my on-campus job was put on hold.

Now I'm chilling out at home with my parents, siblings, grandma, and poodle. We're socially distancing ourselves and leaving the house as little as possible. I'm trying to form some sort of routine, adjust to online classes (which I strongly dislike...), and still struggling to wrap my head around everything that's changed in a matter of weeks.

Even though it's not how I'd planned to finish the school year, and even though the future seems uncertain right now, I am grateful to have time to spend with my family + time to devote to my art and writing! (I'm finishing up my first ever devotional! This is something I've wanted to do for a long time, but I never had time to finish writing it...until now! I'm super excited to share it with you all soon!)

I'm trying to focus on gratitude for the time I can now spend creating new things- and trying to focus on enjoying the little things more than ever.

I wanted to encourage you guys in this today. Something I really want this blog to focus on is the art of looking for joy in the little, seemingly ordinary everyday moments. I believe that the little things are ultimately some of the best and most important parts of life- even if we don't realize it at first. When we recognize and appreciate the small, beautiful moments that often go unnoticed, we can truly enjoy and thrive in whatever our current situation is.

"Little things" are probably a little different for each one of us. A few of mine include

+ pouring my coffee in the morning

+ quiet spring mornings, when it rained during the night and the air is damp and the birds are singing and water drips off of the cherry blossoms

+ creating "to-do" lists and slowly checking off each task

+ falling asleep while reading in the middle of the day

+ putting on chapstick first thing in the morning

+ sealing an envelop when sending a letter to a friend

+ crossing off days on the calendar

+ typing my last sentence of the day and closing my laptop for the night

+ listening to worship music on my morning run

+ annotating and color-coding notes while reading my gov't textbook

+ watching my little sister work on a new sewing project

+ painting the same flower for the hundredth time

These things are small and simple, but they add so much meaning to my everyday life.

So I want to encourage you: use this season of slowing down to really look for, identify, and appreciate the little things that make you happy.

Also, use this time to access your creativity, try new hobbies, make some art, write something... make the most of it, and replace your usual routines/responsibilities with the things you usually don't prioritize.

Stay safe and stay positive, friends!

-Anna