Meg Evans

Although I started writing this post as the sun was going down, the birds are still happily chirping away outside the window. They can sense springtime in the air, the world feels right to them, and they believe that everything they do is naturally going to work out well.

I’m also feeling cheerful today because I got new glasses, which always leaves me literally looking at the world with fresh eyes because I am so nearsighted that I wear them all the time. I found some cute frames that suit my face well. So I’m in a mood for a bit of virtual chirping too!

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.

The word of intention I chose for this year is Presence, and I’ve been reminding myself to pause and mindfully appreciate the moment. What I had in mind, for the most part, was to reduce stress by diverting my attention away from pointless worries; but, of course, there are other benefits as well.

When we become more aware of what is going on around us in the here and now, we notice incremental changes that we otherwise might have overlooked. That in turn gives us more appreciation not only of the present moment, but also of what we can discover and enjoy as time passes.

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.

A coworker recently sent out an email with a word-art image that I thought was so cute, I just had to share it! I hope that it gives you a smile too, and that you’ve been having an awesome Thursday. It was rainy most of the day here, but I went outside to run in the rain anyway, and was glad I got out in the fresh air even though my shoes got wet in the puddles. Still a good day!

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 generally haven’t used the word “miracle” in my writing because it is so overused in today’s society. We see advertisements for “miracle” products, sports stories about “miracle” victories, and so on. It always struck me as kind of silly to describe ordinary things as miracles just because they were better than expected.

Lately I’ve been giving the word more thought, however. There’s probably something to be said for cultivating a mindset of expecting to find miracles in our everyday lives. Appreciating small moments of happiness in simple, ordinary events as if they were miracles can lead to a more hopeful, optimistic outlook—and then who knows, maybe something truly amazing will show up.

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 took a break from my work and went out for a run this morning. The weather was warmer than usual, the birds were chirping happily, and it was starting to feel like spring. Rain was forecast for the afternoon, so getting out earlier in the day seemed like the thing to do.

Toward the end of the run, I got sprinkled on a little, the clouds were dark and heavy, and the wind was blowing my hair all around—but that was okay, it was good to get outdoors and be part of nature anyway!

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.

Although valentine cards, holiday gifts, and thank-you notes are common ways of showing how much we appreciate our loved ones, often it’s the ordinary days that end up being more memorable. Even when it doesn’t seem as if we are doing anything in particular, but simply relaxing and enjoying others’ company, they feel appreciated because we chose to spend time with 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.

This time of year it’s always fun to browse through garden catalogs, even though spring planting is still far away. The weather around here is cold enough that I expect the groundhog will settle in for a long winter’s nap. It’s never too early to imagine a thriving, beautiful garden, though—not only the flowers in the yard, but also the peaceful garden of the mind that sprouts from planting happy dreams.

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.

After work this evening, I took off the nail polish that I got almost three weeks ago when I went for a manicure with my daughter and her bridesmaids on the day before the wedding. That was a good memory, and removing the polish left me feeling a bit sad, but my nails had grown enough that the task couldn’t reasonably be put off anymore.

I don’t often wear nail polish, and now it seems a bit peculiar to be back to natural after three weeks of shiny rose-gold fingertips! But I am grateful for my daughter’s thoughtfulness in inviting me to go with her to the nail salon, and glad to have the memory even though I am not literally wearing it anymore.

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.

The sun was coming up over bare trees and a snow-covered landscape when I sat down at my desk this morning to begin my work. I felt cheerful about the days starting to get longer again. Spring surely couldn’t be all that far away!

Although happiness can be found in simple, ordinary moments like waking up to a brighter morning, we do need to take enough time, in the midst of our busy schedules, to notice and appreciate what’s going on around us. Whether or not we feel happy on any particular day is not random like the weather, but has a lot to do with how we choose to look at 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.

Last weekend I traveled to Tampa, along with my husband and son, because my daughter chose to have a destination wedding. Other relatives drove in or flew in from different parts of the country. It was good to see everyone all together, the ceremony was lovely, and a weekend away from the freezing cold of Ohio was definitely a plus! Although my daughter had been stressing for months about getting the details just right, it all came together very nicely.

Having a daughter who is all grown up and married, though, will likely take a while to get used to, both for myself and for my husband. We’re still wondering where our little soccer-playing girl in braids went! But, it’s probably for the best that we can never foresee everything the future holds. There’s always more to see as time goes on!

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.