- Pesto toast. (or one of the other four best kinds)
- Tulips in a straight vase. (Side note: did you know that tulips grow after they’re cut and put in water?)
- A cortado at 2 or 3 pm, in a cortado glass, with a cortado spoon. The afternoon cortado is designed to counteract the mid-afternoon lull in energy. It can be enjoyed with a friend or colleague or alone, but it shouldn’t be guzzled.
- When they’re behind at the nail salon and I get bonus time to let my feet soak in the bubbly water tub.
- Flipping the pillow over to the cool side. Ahhhh…
- Listening to an eight-minute voice memo that starts with “Hello beautiful.”
- When someone says, shyly, “Will you sign my book?” (I’ll let you know if it ever gets old, so far, no.)
- When there’s some sort of task I have to do that “requires” I watch a movie while doing it, like wrapping presents or putting stickers on something. Guilt-free watching!
- Mint leaves + lemon zest + lemon juice + simple syrup + San Pellegrino + ice
- Waking up at 3am and realizing there’s a good stretch of sleep left.
- Not having to chop the onions for the recipe because I bought them pre-chopped.
- The delight I feel, by extension, about the first snowfall because my children are so delighted.
- Warm leggings from the dryer.
- My husband’s face right after he shaves.
- Glitter.
- White lights.
- Indian food with friends.
- Hot chocolate mustaches.
- Hope, which does not disappoint.
- Writing about my favorite things at 8am on a Monday morning with colleagues, hot coffee, and a lavender/cedar candle.
#WritersWrite and I write almost every day. I sometimes share my thoughts publicly in this series called “500 Words or Less” This practice allows me to explore a variety of different topics in a restrained/contained way and learn what resonates with people. I wrote it, not AI. If you share, please give proper credit. © Traci Smith, 2023. All Rights Reserved.