Thankful Thursday | I kept us here with words

This week I am thankful:

that I have “kept us here with words”

In Maggie Smith’s book, “You Could Make This Place Beautiful”, there’s a short essay called Full Disclosure.

I’ll just put a photo of it here for you, and for context, I’ll tell you that in other parts of the book, she shared that her husband was quietly resentful of her writing work and also resentful of the fame that happened when one of her poems went viral. 

This is one of the little essays that made me burst into tears during my trip through the book. Her story is different than mine because she did stay in the marital home, but still, this resonated with me.

Like Maggie, I earn my money by writing. Like Maggie, I have been self-employed. Like Maggie, I have a job that feels a little weird and intangible.

But the words earn money, and that turns into something tangible: a place to live.

I brought us here to this rental with my writing income, and we have been here for the last year and a half because of my writing income.

I kept us here with words, and I am endlessly grateful.

And also a little bit…proud.

Not in an, “I’m better than everyone else!” kind of way, but in a slightly defiant, independent way. I built something, on my own, with my words, that puts food on my table and keeps a roof over my head.

So, I feel both a whispered, grateful, “I kept us here with words.” and also a standing tall, chin raised, “I KEPT US HERE WITH WORDS.”

But after the defiant yelling version of this, my brain still comes back around to quiet gratefulness; I know, I know, I know that I am so privileged to have this job, and my heart is always filled with thankfulness for that.

that my cold was mild and well-timed

You know how last week I was saying that I hadn’t been sick in so long?

Well, shortly after that…I got a cold. But, it’s been a pretty mild one. And I am so grateful it happened this week because this week is one of the lightest ones schedule-wise for school the whole semester.

Clinicals start next week and continue for the next nine weeks, so I’m glad to have gotten a cold out of the way now.

And I’m going to optimistically hope that I will catch zero more colds all semester. 😉

that I did actually remember to put salt in the cinnamon rolls

Zoe’s birthday was this past weekend, and when she had her friends over for a sleepover, I made some overnight cinnamon rolls for breakfast the next morning.

In the morning, I baked them, frosted them, and then headed out for a previously-scheduled coffee with a friend.

On the way there, I was like, “OH NO I DO NOT REMEMBER PUTTING SALT IN THE DOUGH.”

And then I was feeling very annoyed with myself. Like, why do I always have these realizations at very unhelpful times??

But I tasted one when I got home, and as it turns out, I must have just put the salt in there on auto-pilot because they tasted fine.

I can tell you from personal experience: if you make yeast dough without salt, you know something’s wrong when you taste the finished product. It is so flat and terrible without salt….practically inedible.

that Zoe’s friends are so fun

Obviously, the main priority is that Zoe enjoys being around her friends.

But whenever I hang around with them, when they’re here for a sleepover, or we’re going to Hershey Park, I too have fun with them. They’re great girls, and they are not too cool to talk to me, the mom.

It is a lovely bonus when you happen to enjoy the people your kids hang out with!

for so many sunny days this week

Sunshine = happy me.

And while we are promised clouds today and rain tomorrow, there are a lot of sunny days in the 10-day forecast and I am happy for that.

Also: I am really noticing the longer days now! I had to be somewhere at 6 pm the other day, and as I was driving there, I noticed that it is most definitely not pitch black even at 6:00 these days.

Yay!!

for being able to catch up with an old friend

Last Thursday, after my math exam, I met up with an old friend that used to play cello in the church band with me. I hadn’t seen her in so many years even though we live near each other (both of our lives went a little crazy, for different reasons), but we had so much fun catching up with each other.

We walked seven miles together and we barely even noticed that we had walked for so long.

What are you thankful for this week?