noticing, lately
In 2014, I wrote a blog post called noticing, lately that I’m pretty certain was intended to be a series. One image and one sentence per day, compiled together at the end of the week, a little montage of glimpses into my days. A way to flex my photography muscles, forcing myself to break out my big camera. A way to write words without needing to write too many, one poetic sentence was enough.
Except, I only wrote two posts, one week apart, and that was the end of noticing, lately.
I’m finding a lot of comfort in words from my past self these days. Looking back certainly has the detriment of an abundance of wistfulness and nostalgia, not enough room for the pain or anxiety or hard parts, but I find myself wondering how I was able to write so openly, how I was able to live so freely, how I was able to make so much sense of my world.
These days those skills feel harder to come by. Living freely sometimes feels incredibly far off and making sense of our current world feels nearly impossible, most days, but I’ve been writing openly again over on Substack.
Still, I’m turning to my old words for inspiration. For reassurance. For some hope. And wanting to pick up where I left off, in noticing.
So: noticing, lately.
Monday
Sometimes my home feels incredibly quiet and lonely, which is when I’m extra incredibly grateful for the tiny furry beings that cozy up with me and remind me that we’re never alone.
Tuesday
Sometimes I worry that crocheting becomes my escape, but other times I realize that it is exactly the right kind of escape, the kind where my thoughts can sink into the background and it becomes just me and my breath.
Wednesday
Finally, weather that feels mild and welcoming, the kind where you can meet up for a hike at 5pm and still get to see the sun setting.
Thursday
The power of a fitting room selfie.
Friday
We ate Japanese food and had a full two minutes where we couldn’t figure out how old we were, counting on our fingers from the 1980s to the 2020s, and I realized I hadn’t laughed that hard in a long time.