On its surface, keeping up a practice like documenting monthly glimmers seems pretty simple — a basic task with basic benefits. But it’s quietly powerful. Time and again, it helps shift my perspective.
The past few weeks haven’t been the easiest. My mood has been lower than usual and I haven’t been sleeping well — a vicious cycle if there ever was one. If you’d asked me how September was, I probably would have shrugged and said, eh, not great.
But when I started to put together the photo collage above, I saw things differently. I remembered all the bright spots I’d lost sight of. I went to cool events, read some fantastic books, basked in gorgeous weather, and enjoyed our newly shaded patio. Looking at the snapshots from an outsider’s perspective, I thought, what a rich life! Then, like magic, I felt it.
That’s the power of making time to notice the good. Sometimes, my sweet, dumb brain needs a nudge to remember that things aren’t so bleak after all. There’s plenty of good, too.
Below, I share more details about those bright spots — and, most excitingly, the content you’ve been waiting for: photos of the expensive landscaping project that sent me spiraling. If you want to see what our patio looks like with the new shade sail and fresh plantings, you’re in the right spot! (The former house blogger in me is thrilled to oblige.)