The Grass is Always Greener

Cobble Hill Puzzles - The Rainbow Project, Green

admittedly, i've been a bit low lately. 

it's summer, i should be full of energy and optimism! but an impossibly long pile of to-do lists are hanging over my head and notta one seems to be getting struck off the list. along with the oppressive heat and humidity we are experiencing, i find myself lost and searching for a bit of positivity.

so i decided to mow the lawn.

we share most responsibilities around here but like many households, some jobs fall to certain people time and time again. generally, the lawn is not on my list.

so naturally i added it.

its ridiculous, yes.

i have that *list* looming, you bet.

i don't even like lawn, true.

unless its in Fenway Park. then lawn is good. Let's Go Red Sox!

its an easy job though. driving around in circles on a sunny day. you can only go as fast as the mower goes. nothing rushing you along. time to look up at the sky. and space to think.

after a few passes i realized that taking to the mower was a strange act of self-care.

pretty soon, the to-do lists vanish. the idea that you have somewhere else to be and something else to do goes with them.

a few years ago, i started keeping photo records of gratitudes. they aren't fancy but a collection of photos, of moments that mean something to me. of when i feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude. for ten days every year, i make it a dedicated practice. the rest of year, the occasional photo gets added. taking photos, laying them out, and writing a little something.

that's my husband doing the dishes. i wash very few dishes. lucky gal.

but my current mood doesn't lead to gratitude.

it leads to the grass is always greener.

going around in circles, i had some time to think. even though i was surrounded by grass, gratitude came out to play.

  

muddy little hands exploring; date-sweetened paleo chocolate chip cookies. super tasty. super easy. guilt-less enough that you could eat the whole batch, satisfying enough you don't have to. recipe here - i suggest doubling it.

i've been very lucky to have a lot of uplifting reminders come my way lately. in books, blogs, articles i've read, social media posts, as well as from friends and family. but the stubborn funk i've been in hasn't let me truly hear them.

my friend's mother recently said to me to keep working towards the life i want. it will make me happy.

its a simple thought, but so hard to put into practice and in the tougher moments, it is hard to draw on that wisdom. 

i am grateful she said it.

i am grateful to have a moment to reflect on it.

a good walking crew.

we're lucky to have friends and family, artists and writers to inspire us, to remind us to stop and breath, to be thankful for what we have. we're lucky to be invited into their moments of gratitude. even though we are separated by space, and sometimes time, we're lucky to have access to their thoughts, images, and wisdom, 

Liv Bell Young  @haven.project, posted this on instagram. 

at the time of its posting, it stood out to me. but it can be a bit overwhelming when someone you don't know says your truths through their lives and their words.

still driving in circles, looking up at the sky, the post came back to me.

less overwhelming this time around. it reminds me of my gratitudes.

it acts as a reminder that there are a lot of different shades of green. even in a drought.

for me, part of living a creative life means finding sources of inspiration and our own gratitudes are a great place to start.

so this little blog wants to say a big thanks to all the people who inspire us. all the people who share their lows, and their highs, and remind us to stop - even in the craziest of moments - and feel thankful.