Several months ago, I had an opportunity to view a collection of bonsai trees. The phrase “In training” was written on a placard by each tree. At the time, it struck me as odd to consider trees being in training, they’re trees, don’t they just grow? Although bonsai trees do “just grow,” they are also …
There’s a labyrinth not too far from my home that my family enjoys visiting every once in a while. Several months ago, I watched my daughter as she sped along the winding trail while sharing cheerfully that she knew exactly where she was going and that I just needed to follow. As we wound our …
It’s interesting how challenging it is to start writing again after a blogging break. For me, the experience feels similar to starting an old car on a winter day: My writing gears appear stuck, my words are frozen, I type and delete in a sputtering way, just hoping my writing engine will soon turn over. …
Some details are fleeting. Life’s in the details. Details overflow each day and, oftentimes, it’s the unexpected ones that can grow to enormous importance if given a chance to be noticed. At times I get caught up in seemingly inconsequential details, like a perpetual awareness for when the entryway rug needs to be vacuumed; however, …
As I re-read previous posts that Jessica has shared on The Unexpected Ever Afters, I was struck by the wide variety of topics and full range of emotions that she has written about. Her ability to articulate experiences and perspectives with clarity, authenticity, and insight has provided tremendous help and comfort in my own journey. …
Lately, I have found myself frequently getting bogged down in a frustrating pattern of struggling to tackle my overwhelmingly lengthy to-do list before succumbing to mindlessly scrolling perpetually negative news updates. The mundanity was causing me to feel despondent. I realized I needed to switch gears and instead refocus on the candid moments of inspiration that continue to happen all around me.
When I was a teenager, I couldn’t wait to grow up, do all the things, know all the answers, and finally reach a point where I had figured it all out.
When I hear procrastination described as simply “delaying” a necessary task, it implies a sense of calm, as if the decision was somehow a logical choice to simply complete a task later. However, how I experience procrastination is less of a calm, logical choice and is definitely more of a chaotic jumble of responsibilities careening around my mind in a twisted path, all requiring immediate action. Of course, procrastination takes place in a headspace where logic is not involved and instead meaningless tasks take precedence over whatever responsibility I am desperately avoiding.
Words have power. In many ways, I believe words have the ability to change the world; I know they have certainly changed me.
Similar to the concept that there is always a presence of “both” good and bad in our daily lives, this ever-present dichotomy of good with the bad will always be a part of our country.
the unexpected ever afters 