Category: The Little Things

A good day.

Posted on by Kelsey Leetzow

Today is a good day.

It’s 7:16 am and it’s a good day.

It was a good day when I woke up this morning.

What I mean when I say that it’s a good day is that my anxiety is low today. I woke up feeling content with my life. When I woke up at 6:30, it was the first time I’d woken up since I went to bed at 10:30. That is huge for me.

Of course, I want to know, start to speculate why it’s a good day. Is it because I’ve written for the last three days, now four?

When I started morning pages, that was the case. By day three the internal cadence in my mind was much slower.

This morning is great because I’m not worrying about what should I do when I get out of bed, not worrying about friends, family, etc. Not worrying about work or when I should take my business full-time or what the next step of my business is, even. Or what I will have for lunch or breakfast – maybe that’s the key – having food on hand.

I’m just here. Content. I put the coffee on. I did a little questioning about whether or not to get back in bed and decided that I could wake up on the couch. I did get back in for a few minutes and then my allergies forced me out. I’m glad. A few quiet minutes to myself in the morning reading is good for my soul.

And now I’m writing again.

Writing is my communion. It’s what I need to do to be in relationship with myself.

I don’t have to know where these words will ultimately end up.

Why do I worry so much about the longevity of things? What if I thought of my words like I thought about nail polish? Pretty and what I’m in the mood for now? You don’t sit to get your nails done and think they’ll last longer than they will. What if my words don’t have to apply forever, they just have to be true today?

Speaking of the longevity of things, of course, one of my thoughts about the good day today, one of the reasons I want to know why today is a good day, is so that I can replicate it tomorrow. And the next day. And have fewer and fewer whatever-the-opposite-of-this-feeling-is days in the future.

But here’s another way to handle the good days – ENJOY THEM. That’s an option. I don’t have to dissect it, analyze it, look at it from all angles to figure out the one thing that’s contributing the most to this feeling. Maybe I can just be in it. Right now. This feels good. Mmm, this still feels good. Why make a project out of the good times? Why not just enjoy them?

 

coffee date

Posted on by jplatt27

coffee edited

If we were having coffee today, I’d tell you I’m pretty much a genius (or a magician). Our kitchen sink wasn’t draining (probably because of bacon grease) and I put baking soda in and the water immediately started going down. It was like magic. I read somewhere a while ago about using vinegar and baking soda to unclog drains–the combination bubbles up like a volcano–so I was going to do that but we didn’t even need the vinegar. The baking soda alone did the trick. I did pour a little vinegar and boiling water in for good measure though. Anyway, so cool!

If we were having coffee today, I’d tell you I’ve been reading The War of Art by Steven Pressfield and it’s so good. Definitely a game-changer. He talks about resistance and how it comes up for all of us. Resistance especially comes up when you’re thinking about pursuing something that can have positive lasting effects for the long haul…

If we were having coffee today I’d probably rave about this kale salad. We made it for dinner on Friday and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. It was so delicious. So hearty and great flavors. We had some leftover and had it as a side with grilled cheese for lunch on Saturday. I keep asking myself when I can have it again. Mmm mmm mmmm.

If we were having coffee today I’d tell you about my birthday date. My birthday’s not til Wednesday but Mike and I celebrated yesterday. He bought me a beautiful dress that I’d marked in the Talbots catalog (you can see the top a bit in the picture above) and we got dressed up and went to brunch at the Tabard Inn.

And last but not least, if we were having coffee today, I’d probably tell you that Mike and I started watching The Killing this weekend and we’re hooked. I really enjoy having a series to watch like this, especially one that I can watch with Mike. It becomes our thing and we can spend quality time together watching. If you have suggestions for series we should put on our list for after this one, do tell!

What would you tell me?

P.S. Thanks to Emily for this post idea. I really love it!

Love during hockey playoffs

Posted on by jplatt27

Playoff hockey season can be challenging for a marriage.  There are games multiple days a week and the stakes of each game are high. Because I’m not a huge Flyers fan, we usually spend this time apart. Between the hockey games and our busy schedules, it’s been particularly hard to find time to spend together in the last few weeks.

However, Mike did a few things during the Flyers playoffs that made me feel really loved. They are seemingly small things but they show thought and care.

During one of the first games, I was really sick and went to bed early.  The Flyers ended up winning against the Penguins (Mike could tell you more about the exact game and exact plays/goals). The next morning I asked if they won or lost and he said they won.  He said he was doing some silent jumping up and down and screaming because he didn’t want to wake me.

A few weeks ago, I had a work event and got home later than usual. I walked into the apartment and Mike was making dinner and music filled the space. I can’t remember what song was playing or what Mike said to me but I remember standing, holding the island with both hands, facing the window, singing and looking out and relishing the moment. Later Mike told me that he wanted to put the game on but didn’t because I deserved to come home and not have the game on in the background. That since it wasn’t even a Flyers game he decided to do without it.

On Thursday last week we sat down to have dinner at the table before the game started.  Knowing that the game started at 7:30, I figured we’d eat quick and Mike would go on to watch the game.  We got caught up chatting and when I looked at my watch it was 7:50.  We moved to the couch and continued talking, maybe even watched an episode of Modern Family.  I was so grateful that he wasn’t itching to turn the game on and made the effort to get some quality time in with me.

I also showed some consideration during playoffs.  Earlier this week, I really wanted to talk to Mike about some next steps. Knowing that he had a paper to finish and the Flyers to watch that night, I texted him and said “Can we chat about coach training tomorrow night?” He appreciated that I recognized the importance of his paper and his desire to watch the game. I appreciated that he noticed that.

Breakfast at the table

Posted on by jplatt27

Yesterday morning, Mike took his breakfast (my favorite pancakes) and coffee to the kitchen table.  “Sitting at the the table this morning?” I said, hopefully. We always eat breakfast at home during the week but usually while watching The Today Show, Morning Joe, or Mike & Mike. We hadn’t really seen or spoken to each other for two days while Mike was working an event for his job and when he got home at 11pm and greeted sleeping me with a kiss my 1/4 awake response was “What, you’re not even going to tell me you’re home?” Welcome home, huh? The next morning, I was excited to chat, had so many things to share and Mike sitting down at the table told me that he was open to some conversation.

I love when we eat at the table together but it’s a rare occurrence.  We usually eat dinner eat on the couch at the coffee table while watching TV. But recently we’ve both realized that we should eat at our table more.

It’s amazing how much more we talk when we’re sitting across the table from each other–we’ll actually have a conversation. Not like we don’t chat when we’re on the couch but the conversation is much more engaging, much more of a dialogue when we’re sitting at a real table. On the couch, it seems like we’re just reporting out.

If you ever feel disconnected from your significant other, I suggest sitting down to dinner.

I think it’s really important for couples to sit across the table from each other and talk and listen.  Honestly, this is important for any people that are living together, family members, friends, roommates, whatever.  It’s easy to go about your business and not really talk. And doesn’t it feel so good to really talk?

I’d love to know:

How often do you eat at the table? Do you agree that sitting at the table facilitates better conversation?

Appreciation —> Happiness

Posted on by jplatt27

Yesterday Jess shared this nugget of wisdom over on Makeunder My Life:

“Stuff doesn’t make people happy. The appreciation of stuff makes people happy.”

As soon as I read this in my Google reader I stopped and immediately posted to Twitter:

Then I pulled up MML to get the URL, hit “Tweet,” and continued reading.  The next line was “Yep, go ahead and tweet it.” And then I felt like a complete tool.  But that’s not the point of this.

The point is that Jess’ statement is so true. The beautiful duvet we got for our wedding doesn’t make me happy; the sight of it on a nicely made bed and the thought of the comfort it provides makes me happy.  Owning a new black cardigan doesn’t make me happy; appreciating that it was exactly what I was looking for, is soft, fits me perfectly, and was only $17 makes me happy. The diamond earrings I got for my wedding don’t make me happy; appreciating their beauty and the fact that they go with everything and I can wear them every day makes me happy.

I think this statement applies to relationships too.  Having a husband/boyfriend/partner doesn’t necessarily make you happy.  Appreciating the laughs you share, the thoughtful things they do for you, the comfort you feel when resting your head on their shoulder or getting a big hug, that’s the stuff that makes you happy. This goes for family members, friends, co-workers, kids, and probably pets as well.

So it’s true appreciation yields happiness.

I’d love to know:

Who or what are you appreciating these days?

PS–A big thanks to Colleen for teaching me how to take a screen shot today!

golf shirt

Posted on by jplatt27

before our rehearsal, my husband had planned to play golf with the groomsmen.  he mentioned that he wanted to get a new golf shirt to play in.  i was running a bunch of wedding errands the wednesday before and figured why not stop in sports authority to pick one up for him.  i chose a white shirt with gray stripes and was happy with my choice.  i laid it out on the bed for him so he’d see it shortly after getting home from work.  he walked in, saw it and said “you didn’t!” he. was. beaming, laughing, and saying thank you.  he was so happy and couldn’t stop smiling.  i will always remember the smile it brought to his face. i’m smiling just remembering this.

i think it’s the little things like that that make a marriage or a relationship.  while it seems like a small thing, getting him that shirt showed him that i was thinking of him, that i had listened to something he said in passing earlier in the week, and that i love him and wanted him to enjoy himself while golfing.  and i do.