Let’s face it // Mondays stink. Or at least we typically expect them to stink. That is why, every Monday, I post seven positives from the previous seven days of the week as a reminder of what I have so that the week starts out on an upswing. There is much truth in the belief that happy people attract good things, so it is important to start the week out right. Sometimes it’s the more grand, but other times, it’s the simple things.
1. Strangers. Only this time, surprisingly, I’m not talking about the podcast with the respective name like I normally, obsessively do (see all other 7 for seven posts – ha!); I’m talking about my very own stranger story. Last week, I received the nicest, most uplifting letter from a stranger all the way in Delhi. After mentioning last week how important it is to reach out to others when the instinct is there, she wanted to let me know how she has connected to my posts and said some too kind things about my character. These words could not have come at a better time. When I received the letter, because of the time difference between countries, it was 2 AM, during a bout of insomnia, as I too had sent an e-mail I was nervous to send. Although, the sentiments of my e-mail were about disconnecting rather than connecting. Just as I was doubting myself, and struggling to continue to write these posts after a challenging week, I received the validation I so needed to keep moving forward. I am so grateful for you, stranger no more. Thank you for your thoughtful words of encouragement and thank you for doing what we all want others to do – understand one another.
2. Reunion Part Deux. Last week, I went to good ol’ Donn’s Depot again (see only two posts ago – bah!), to meet up with two of my favorite guy friends from high school. I can’t even begin to tell you how good it was to see them and catch up. We reminisced, laughed, and took cheap whiskey shots together. I am so proud of the men they have become and am hopeful they will continue to be a bigger part of my present.
3. Marmie Time. My sweet mother who was in town this past week, met up with me at a grocery store (an in-between spot for both of us), so she could give me an early birthday present for next month, and she surprised me by paying for my travel goods I picked up while there along with a cross-body bag for when I’m roaming Europe this week. Aaaaaah!! Yes, this week –TODAY!! But, I’m not at all excited about it… Can you tell? She then took me to lunch at our favorite Tex-Mex restaurant. I love you, Marmie (my self-made name for my mother that’s stuck since I was in grade-school). You are too good to me.
4. Insomnia, Meet my Friend Nostalgia. For the second time in a row this week, I could not sleep to save my life. Instead of fighting it, I decided the best thing for me to do was to switch things up and not fight it. I grabbed my phone and searched some random playlists on Spotify and accidentally came across this band that an ex-boyfriend introduced to me in college. For forever, I couldn’t remember the name of the band, and I lost my iPod with those songs, so it’s been bugging me for a long time. It’s not the type of music I would normally listen to, but for some reason when I was in college, I found it extremely sexy. I’m ridiculous. So I blasted it in my bedroom with a fit of nostalgia. I wiggled in bed with a huge smile on my face until I had to get up and move a little more (I’m admitting this, though it’s super embarrassing). This led me to looking up more nostalgia and listening to my favorite grunge bands of the 90s. Then, I turned on some Pete Yorn, Music for the Morning After and was immediately taken back to an image of myself sitting on an airplane, ear-buds in my ears, and weeping to this album as I left my sister’s place in NYC. It’s crazy what music has the power to do. Although I thought I gave up on fighting sleep, this was exactly what I probably needed — it reduced my stress and anxiety and put me right to sleep as “I floated into the clouds outside the airplane window.”
5. Shop Till/When You Drop. Today, I leave for Europe, and it will be warmer certain places than I once thought, so I had to run to a store yesterday for some last-minute items. Sadly, the only shorts I own that fit me right now are booty shorts — nothing appropriate to roam cathedrals or wear around the students we are taking. Oops. I absolutely hate shopping – always have, especially as a short gal whose petite yet curvy proportions confuse standard sizing. However, instead of crying in the dressing room, per the norm, I felt “frustrated” (huge-sarcastic-air-quotes) for having to go back and keep dropping sizes. Never have I EVER been a size 0 – okay, maybe when I was twelve, but I can’t believe my running and clean eating this summer has done more for me than anything else I’ve ever done – not to mention the best part is not a number but rather that it has been the most therapeutic form of exercise I’ve ever done.
6. Mon Amour. Before leaving the states, I met up with the special man in my life, after a gap too long for my comfort. We spent the day at the pool, and then we went to one of our favorite spots for dinner to get some good Texas Southern comfort food in before I’m away for a good while. Cheese alert: I’m feeling so grateful to have seen his handsome face before I leave today, to have shared some much-needed laughs, and to have his warm hugs when I return.
7. Au Revoir! I’m so excited!!! I’m off to Europe today for the first time in my life. I’ll land in London, travel to Paris, and then go through the Alps in Switzerland and Germany. I return the 21st, and I look forward to updating you with a big ‘ol Texas sized post with pictures and stories of my travels.
I hope to inspire you to reflect on all you have to be grateful & that your week brings you even more positivity + balance + bliss! Feel free to share your seven with me as well / or even just a couple!
Have a wonderful week!
xo,
Lauren
