happy face

I’ve been in a real rut for a long time, and I’ve been trying very hard to get myself out of it. One way is that I got a notebook in January and I wrote on the front: “things that made me smile today,” and I’ve been trying to actively notice when things make me happy. There are some silly little things (randomly hearing a duck quacking in the parking lot at the grocery store) and some sweet bigger things (seeing my brother for the first time in four months!) The list is long enough now that I could probably add “I read through my ‘things that made me smile’ list” to the list!

I feel like between the general state of the world & country right now, and my own personal setbacks in my life and career, it can be hard to remember that each day brings some joy. But whether it’s Arrietty standing up and grabbing my hand to lick it with her scratchy little tongue, or having a nice interaction with my favorite postal worker at the post office, or getting cozy in bed for a new episode of The Pitt, there is something almost every single day that does make me genuinely smile.

I’ve also been working really hard on figuring out a general plan for rebuilding my life. I have an AMAZING therapist and we’ve been coming up with some ideas that I am super excited about. I think this is the first time in over two years that I actually felt optimistic about my future. Of course the whole world could come crashing down tomorrow… but right now I’m taking things one day at a time, logging each little smile, and tentatively holding out hope for some brighter days ahead!!

smile knit set - dressed in lala