lighter

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thank you all for your kind responses to my last post. it is so encouraging to know that most of us undergo some form of self-doubt or crisis & are able to come together to share our experiences. i wish we could all sit down for coffee & really talk it out. thanks, everyone!

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i feel so much lighter here, in our new home. i am experiencing a balance that i have longed for & missed this past year. i believe that i handled that season of darkness as best i could, finding contentment in the little joys of my life but opening up regularly to share the hard parts, too. i do believe, though, that the season of darkness has passed for now & i can truly enjoy each day. 

we are currently house sitting for good friends until the end of july with another friend, susan. we have a few necessities with us- clothes, food, striped red & white straws, our plants, the animals - but we are enjoying the lightness of our days away from our belongings. the rest is packed into a storage unit until next month.

i miss luke so much when he is gone, finding an empty place in our bed some nights with only quiet at the end of the day as i read a book beneath the covers. when he is here, though, we make the most of every minute, canning cucumbers into pickles, biking to the farmers' market, preparing elaborate meals for dinner guests, talking about podcasts & favorite books. it's nice, this lightness.

i am also finding that my days feel a little more balanced. there is a hill near our house that overlooks the city & we have been taking walks up there with the dogs regularly. the hottest summer days are here, but we are sipping on homemade lavender sodas & iced coffee. i am reading pages instead of screens (enjoying no one is here except all of us by ramona ausubel). writing & creating, too. waking up early to water the plants & talk to the chickens. spending time with family & planning weekend trips. enjoying sno-cones & fresh caprese salads. yes, this lighter me feels so good.

thanks for reading, friends.

love,

natalie