Meg Evans

All those days of rushing around from one thing to another, while wishing that life wouldn’t be as hectic, seem so far away now. The to-do lists feel like ancient history. Life has slowed down to a trickle, a meandering stream—this day, this moment, this breath.

When was it that I needed to keep reminding myself to live in the present? That seems so very long ago.

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to “give this planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.” Visit her site to find more Nurturing Thursday posts and a list of frequent contributors.

While my husband and I are staying in the house and sharing our home office space, we’re trying to keep each other cheerful. All those little things we used to worry about—well, they’re not even worth mentioning. And now, more than ever, a smile or an encouraging word can make all the difference in how the day goes.

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to “give this planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.” Visit her site to find more Nurturing Thursday posts and a list of frequent contributors.

I like toaster corn muffins, but I don’t often see them here in Ohio because they are mainly a Southern food. When I went to get groceries on Monday, I wasn’t thinking about them at all. I just wanted to stock up on basic items because of all the reports of panic buying and bare shelves.

The bread aisle was empty of almost everything, but there were still some hamburger buns. That was the only bread item on my list, so it seemed like my grocery trip was going okay even before I looked at a small center display, which had just been stocked with—toaster corn muffins. Yum!

Whatever you’re doing this week, I hope that you also have some happy little things to keep your spirits up. Stay safe, do what you can—and keep in mind that we are going to get through this.

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to “give this planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.” Visit her site to find more Nurturing Thursday posts and a list of frequent contributors.

While I was sitting down to write a post for today, my husband was listening to “Better in Time” by Leona Lewis. The song’s refrain is “It’ll all get better in time.” That message, however simple, is well worth keeping in mind. Even on days when we have to deal with all kinds of problems and confusion, something good will come along, all in its time.

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to “give this planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.” Visit her site to find more Nurturing Thursday posts and a list of frequent contributors.

I was practicing mindfulness this evening while cleaning up after dinner. While I was standing at the kitchen sink, a negative thought wandered into my head, along the lines of “what’s the point of being mindful about a boring everyday chore.”

To deal with that, I started composing a mental list of reasons to be grateful. Obviously, having a good dinner was at the top of the list. The dishwasher deserved gratitude for making the chore much easier. I was standing on a comfortable mat in front of the sink. The house was warm and the kitchen well lit. Even something as simple as hot running water earned a place on the gratitude list, especially after we had two water outages last year (caused by a water main break and a tornado).

After I had brought into my conscious awareness all the little things in the moment for which I was grateful, I felt pretty good—so, I would say that the mindfulness practice was a success.

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to “give this planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.” Visit her site to find more Nurturing Thursday posts and a list of frequent contributors.

This week I’ve felt like my energy is all tangled up in some sort of mental static, buzzing at me just below the threshold of conscious awareness. Probably the change of seasons has something to do with it, and maybe I need more sleep. Whatever it is, I keep reminding myself to slow down, just breathe, and be present in the moment. Patience heals many things.

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to “give this planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.” Visit her site to find more Nurturing Thursday posts and a list of frequent contributors.

While I was doing my grocery shopping today, the woman behind me in the checkout line introduced herself, said that she went to the same gym with my husband and daughter a few years ago, and asked me to tell them that she said hello.

I thought at first that she must have an excellent memory for faces, recognizing me when I wasn’t a member of that gym. She couldn’t have seen me more than a few times. But then my husband pointed out that his Facebook photo includes me, so that probably was how she knew my face.

Anyway, however it might have happened, it was nice to get an unexpected cheerful greeting while I was just buying groceries, and it left me smiling.

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to “give this planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.” Visit her site to find more Nurturing Thursday posts and a list of frequent contributors.

I have good feelings about my New Year’s resolution of bringing more clarity into my life by focusing on little things in the moment. Part of the process is simply reminding myself that finding inspiration and direction will naturally happen when the time is right. There’s no need to plan tasks or compose to-do lists. Rather, awareness and presence, in themselves, create a welcoming space for life’s healing energy to fill.

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to “give this planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.” Visit her site to find more Nurturing Thursday posts and a list of frequent contributors.

Last week was so dark and gray that I ordered a sparkly sleeveless top from a catalog to cheer myself up. That was somewhat out of character for me, as I’m not usually an impulse shopper. It definitely left me feeling more cheerful when I put it on, though. I would say there’s no harm in it because we all need to buy new clothes sometime! And now that the days are getting longer, it’s starting to feel just a little bit like spring. Even though today started with icy drizzle and ended with snow, we’re not that far away.

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to “give this planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.” Visit her site to find more Nurturing Thursday posts and a list of frequent contributors.

Sometimes it can be hard to find energy when, like this week, it’s just one dark winter day after another. Still, there are many reasons to be grateful. Even the little things, like a flameless candle on my desk and a colorful lighted keyboard that my husband gave me for Christmas, add up to feeling well nurtured and cared for—when we take the time to notice them.

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to “give this planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.” Visit her site to find more Nurturing Thursday posts and a list of frequent contributors.