Occasionally, in the whir of daily life, it is easy to lose track of the small things that are so lovely about being alive. If you, like I sometimes am, are feeling cooped up or even just slightly stifled by the routines to which you remain relatively faithful, I have the perfect remedy.

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Step 1: Be Productive, but don’t overlook the smile-bringing moments of your day!

For Example: 

Today, my students were working independently on a French History Project when I overheard the following conversation:
Student A: What’s your era again?
Student B: The second Napoleonic Empire.
Student A: Aww, I’m the third republic! Isn’t that PRUSSIOUS!

Step 2: Soak in some sunshine, however you can get it!

If you just happen to live in driving distance from the Coolidge Reservation in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, I highly recommend it!

Step 3: Get reacquainted with your local public library, paying specific attention to the old books that nobody ever remembers to open!

 

(Page 1 of This Side of Glory, by Gwen Bristow)

Step 4: Bake yourself a delicious pizza with whatever you might have on hand

(tip on awesome pizza crust: 2 &1/2 cups flour, 1 pkt/1 Tbsp yeast, 2 Tbsp oil, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp. salt – mix it good, let it rise 15 minutes and then top with whatever you have lying around – bake at 400 for about 20 minutes and voilà!)

Step 5: Own an adorable cat.

Step 6: Watch the  movie “Leap Year” (courtesy of the Library)

. . . and fall a little bit in love with Matthew Goode’s character Declan, who has a pretty wonderful accent. And even if you don’t fall in love with him, it’s an adorable movie. Plus, if you’re lucky, you also got Taken at the library, so there is an option if Leap Year doesn’t quite do it for you!

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Finally (Step 7), wrap up your day with a healthy dose of warmth…

Think about the good things that filled the day, forget the moments that made you angsty (because they pale in the beautiful sunshine that dazzles Ocean’s lawn and you can’t even see them beyond the forgotten stacks of glorious forgotten books. Just take a moment to feel good and tuckered out before snuggling down for the night – holding on to the beautiful facets of the day you just lived.

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