Month: November 2013

obligatory thoughts on thanks

today being thanksgiving, i’m feelin the pressure from the blogging world to make some sort of a post about thankfulness. it seems like most bloggers make some sort of a post about thanks during this time of year. so, giving in to peer pressure in fine form, here ya go (although i really don’t mind writing about this at all)!

thankfulness is something that is so often taken for granted, especially in our society. there is so much focus on what we don’t have, what the world tells us we absolutely need. in actuality, i really think that the things we absolutely need are just the small things. humans aren’t naturally overly needy beings; give us some food and water and love and we will mostly survive (barring medical conditions and special circumstances).

so today i’m grateful for the little things. i know that there are so, so many people in the world that aren’t able to have even some of these little things, so i’m grateful for the place i am in that allows for these. it’s so easy to stray from deep gratitude and zero in on the technology or large house or well-paying job we might not have, when there are people in the world who aren’t able to even have the basic necessities of life.

i’m grateful for a steady supply of food and water. i’m grateful for shelter and safety. i’m especially grateful for love. you can have all the things in the world, but without love, i truly believe that you are nowhere. today, be grateful for love. be grateful for family and for friends.

i’m thankful for the ability to love. if you are in a place in your life where you feel like you don’t have anyone that loves you, where you feel emptiness inside your heart in the place where love belongs, i encourage you to go out and find it yourself. my heart aches for you and i know that it is a hard, dark place you’re in, but i promise you five hundred times that if you reach out and look for ways to love an bless others around you, it will be reciprocated.

so today, on this day of thanksgiving, whether you are surrounded by friends or family or even just your own thoughts, think of love. have gratitude for love. furthermore, have gratitude for the ability to find love.

(okay, yeah this wasn’t really that much of a chore to write. gratitude is something close to my heart, so i’m happy to take my place among the ranks of bloggers who posted something about thanksgiving today! :) )

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inspiration // music lately

music, for me, is synonymous with inspiration. lately, my music preferences have gravitated toward songs that have bit of an off-tone to them…nothing too jumpy or pop-esque, but nothing too absolutely and totally monotonous either. when a song has a singing melody and a deep, real message to it – that, right there, is beauty.

anyway, here are the songs that have spoke to me the most lately. the moment any of these come on, it’s like an instant breath of peace and soothing, and they put me in my “writing mood.” this music speaks of hope, and love, and – most importantly – reality.

“Sort Of” – Ingrid Michaelson – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_4utiBscIE

“Lovely” – Sara Haze – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyfMZSaw0i0

“What If” – Five for Fighting – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT3zXs7eI0I

“Boston” – Augustana – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ASJBXu8tNo

“Demons” – Imagine Dragons – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWRsgZuwf_8

“Beautiful Goodbye” – Maroon 5 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKnqkFeJbFU

cheers to saturdays

so, today has been quite lovely. lazy and quiet and full of all the comfy things a november saturday should have. today was one of those days where i woke up and wanted to bake something delicious and fill my kitchen and my entire house with swirling cinnamon scents. i didn’t end up baking anything, i really wish i had. but here’s cheers to saturdays of comfort and blankets and sleep and crisp air and warm endings. 

here’s to beginning the day late with a refreshing run down a quiet park path.

here’s to long showers, where you have all the time in the world, where you can soak up every last bit of relaxation and not worry about having to be somewhere.

here’s to spending the day watching netflix documentaries, because intelligence is attractive and enticing, and because steinway & sons pianos are absolutely beautiful.

here’s to afternoons and evenings and nights spent in a comfy sweatshirt, reading blogs full of pretty, soothing words, inspiring me to be more and write more and run away to new york city and never come back.

here’s to considering possibilities of the future and life adventures yet to be had.

here’s to ending the day with hot chocolate and bread with camembert cheese, pretending to be somewhat fancy, and deciding that when i go off and live in a big city, i’m going to buy myself baguettes and camembert on a regular basis and indulge my french sensibilities.

here’s to electric blankets. enough said.

here’s to saturdays, and here’s to the pretty-much-winter weather, and here’s to the future.