I rarely feel inspired to write, likely because I write for work and all the words get squeezed out of me like a juiced lemon.
But today, as I ate lunch and listened to the whir of the robo-vac tidying up the house, I felt a flash of need to write this down: I’m feeling joyful.
While I’ve been battling near-constant headaches and the fatigue of this season’s cold snaps, overall, life is good.
Last night, I marinated chicken paillards in Dijonnaise before searing them, starting in a cold pan to avoid overcooking (a great technique that I learned from this Serious Eats recipe). Served with a scoop of bright, herby, fresh chickpea salad, and dinner lifted and lightened. Today, I ate a plate of the leftovers for lunch, and it was still divine: the tangy chicken with caramelized spots, the cool, creamy salad punctuated with pops of dill and the tang of yogurt—it enlivened me yet again. I needed to share that joy. It spread through the tips of my fingers, reaching for words.
Alfie, my cat, sits next to me on the couch as I break out my laptop to write. I talk to him, saying how life is good, how he is such a good boy, how lunch was so fabulous, and how I’m excited to go to Dave’s Market to pick up ingredients for this week’s meals (I love grocery shopping). While I feel a flash of guilt—am I showing off for sharing that I’m so grateful and happy?—I kick that to the curb. I shouldn’t feel guilty about feeling joyful and wanting to share. Especially since so much of the stuff I read online and see on social media focuses on the bad. As cliche as it is, finding the small moments of good and noting them reminds me that in the end, life is a flash in the pan—and it’s so deeply satisfying to indulge in joy.
I hope you can find a moment to feel exuberant, to savor a moment, and to share it.
Yours,
Grace
Reading this makes my heart sing! Thank you for sharing!!