I'll write my way through it.
“I’ll write my way through it,” I tell myself. Through lows or uncertainty or a blank page, I know I’ll get through it by writing.
I write to find my silver linings. It’s the way to glean something good (nay, useful) from any situation. It’s how I digest what I experience when I travel (remember travel?)—spinning experience into stories. Sometimes, writing is my silver lining.
I write. You might paint, sing, garden, or set your thoughts free in therapy.
Silver linings help us remain optimistic. They’ve helped us get through *flails arms* all this: a year where time has simultaneously stood still and flown by. A year of scribbled-out plans. Big events shrank to a small circle; celebrations pivoted to Zoom. We sipped mimosas alone, but still together. We found the good; we laughed and smiled through it.
Like many of you, I’ve also learned the importance of small wins.
Before COVID, I found little joy in preparing meals. Cooking was a chore, not a hobby; one I was often intimidated by, to be quite honest.
So, I did what any amateur home cook would do: I went to Target. I found Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook, and I resolved to cook my way through it. Flips page, flips page… calls Mom.
Okay, so what started as a solo cooking endeavor now involved my mom. Our first go was a Thai curry. We cooked and chatted via Zoom. Wine was involved (obviously).
Like most COVID intentions, we’ve succeeded... in cooking just three recipes thus far. *shrugs* But I’ve made those three over and over—and I’ve started to put my own spin on them (like, upping the cheese ante with parmesan and mozzarella in one recipe; substituting vegan-friendly tofu for chicken in another). I even invested in a proper Dutch Oven (luxury!); one I look forward to cooking with now.
Great joy lies in small wins: building confidence in the kitchen; making memories with my mom; being inspired by, well, kitchenware.
And the big picture? Well, I already know it’s these small wins—these silver linings—I’ll remember best from the storm cloud of 2020.
So, this coming election week; this impending winter; this ongoing pandemic—do what you need to find your own silver linings. Paint. Sing. Garden (indoors). Talk it out. Cook.
I’ll be here, writing my way through it.
Supplemental reading: Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook
Also, anyone who follows me on Instagram knows I’m (a) never without a book, and (b) a vocal supporter of independent bookstores. To sustain both (particularly during a pandemic), I’ve been procuring most of my books through Bookshop, an online bookstore that supports local indies. As timing would have it, my latest shipment arrived last night, so I’ll be digging in to one of these two this weekend.
Let me know if you’ve read either (or both!) in the comments. Next newsletter we’ll talk books (and more).