Word counts, weight gains, and garden growth

Glimmers = hope ✨

Life lesson: If you’re having a nice night, consider saving the news for the next day.

I’m writing this on the way home from Buffalo, New York, where I spent a long weekend with my mom and extended family while Billy and our daughter stayed back in Atlanta. I was in my own Airbnb — a peaceful, serene place with a plush bed, an office, and, honestly, too much space for one person.

But I took advantage of that space. It gave me room to think, to rest, to write. After months of struggling to find time for my novel-in-progress, I churned out multiple chapters — some of my favorite scenes yet.

When I wasn’t writing or with family, I was catching up with friends. I talked for hours with my friend Caitlin, who recently became a mom. I felt right at home on Ren and Keeley’s couch, their dog curled up in my lap, just like so many times before when we all lived in Florida.

And on Saturday, we celebrated my cousin’s marriage — the reason I made the trip. We danced, cried, laughed, and toasted the happy couple. It was lovely.

Afterward, I returned to the quiet apartment. And promptly ruined that serene space by checking the news.

Trump had bypassed Congress. The U.S. bombed Iran.

So much for peace.

It felt jarring. Dissonant. A reminder of how quickly the world can upend itself.

It’s easy to get mired in the horribleness of it all. But it’s important to notice the bright spots — in your own life, and in the wider world. As activist and newsletter writer Jess Craven often says: “We can’t keep fighting if we can’t find hope.”