Hi friends! The world (and the internet) feel big time heavy to me today, so it feels like a good time to carve out a space for goodness - because we all need to be able to hold onto enough light to be able to face the dark stuff. 💜
So, tell me something beautiful about life? This thread is open to everyone 🌞 I’ll start:
People still make art. And most of the time they have no idea where it goes, how many people it helps, who it means the world to. Every song, movie, book, painting exists because someone somewhere decided their idea was worth creating. And what they create helps the rest of us get through our days. How beautiful is that?? ✨
The feeling of genuine laughter with someone just can't be beat. The kind of laughter where your belly hurts and you aren't sure if you'll ever be able to stop. Those moments often remind me of how beautiful life can be.
My long distance friends who I haven’t seen since Covid started still send me ridiculous memes. It’s beautiful because every time I Get one I know they were thinking of me and that makes me feel so loved.
Thinking of how beautiful it is to suddenly pay attention to the songs of the birds.. usually unheard, they have the power of gifting some brief moments of presence and joy 💫
This arrived in my inbox with perfect timing. Heavy is definitely the word for it.
Animals are beautiful. I am sat with my cat purring next to me and thinking how lovely it is to have her company and for her to enjoy mine. She doesn’t ask for much and she enjoys the simple pleasure of curling up next to me keeping warm.
Labrador puppies! And all puppies in general. Baby puppies, old puppies, rescue puppies, big puppies, little puppies, puppies as big as your head. All. The. Puppies.
We are able to cultivate friendships with people we would otherwise never meet across the internet. I have friends in England, Korea, across the U.S., and Canada - and I hope to meet more! It's the best thing about the internet besides all of the knowledge that's just there and available. Sending you all so much love. <3
The joy of being happy with a new job where I finally feel like I matter and make a difference every day. Where people are kind and actually care about each other as people and not as stepping stones to get to the top.
my dear friend texted me this morning—they did not know what to do or how to function when there is so much darkness happening. It felt pointless.
I said “I think the mechanics of living and enjoying this moment—the nature around you, the food you eat, the people you love—is never, ever pointless. Connection with the world, the divine, the love in your life, will never, ever not be valuable.”
there will be dark times. of course. but we are still able to love each other and to look to the sky & the water & the trees & feel something akin to peace.
No matter what pain a person may feel or have gone through. There is an intrinsic part of everyone that WANTS to help others feel less pain. That selfless passion, to me, is beautiful.
This is so important, today and every day. To build onto Megan's above, as an emerging writer (a few stories published here and there, loads of rejections...to be a writer is to live with constant rejection, no matter how "successful" you are), I sometimes need to be reminded that the real beauty is in just sitting down to do the work, creating the art itself. Of course, we all want to feel appreciated and valued—writing is ultimately supposed to be an act of communication and unfortunately there are a lot of out-of-touch gatekeepers who prevent important voices from being heard. But even if my partner reads my work and is moved by it, even if a handful of readers tell me they love my work—that's beautiful too, and it means I can keep going, keep creating the art I believe needs to exist in the world.
That even though there are a few things in my life that are looking uncertain and that have me scared and stressed…I still have hope. Hope can be a very beautiful thing ❤️
This post just pulled me out of mindless doom-scrolling, so thank you. For me, music is beautiful and life changing. It's a medication for me. I find something in every genre of music that I like. Like you said about art, I greatly appreciate musical artists who share their songwriting, instruments, and voices with us. I love that I can sing and dance along to so many different beats. Music has gotten me through deaths, divorce, and many things in between.
There is always love. The love for yourself, for friends, for romance, the love for food, for nature, for routines and for adventures. And there is a beauty in finding that love in most unexpected places.
Please forgive if this is too long, but your post reminded so specifically of an experience. In the late 90's I lived in NYC and got to know Madeleine L'engle - not well. I was in a writer's group that met at her house and my children attended school on the grounds where her office was located. One night we went to see the play "Wit," something we'd both wanted to see, and which we both loved, despite it being a play about illness and death. After the show they announced there would be a talkback with the actors and director. Madeleine, a person who had faced a lot of death and illness and who'd given me a great deal of courage by her example, raised her hand and spoke and I don't remember what she said, but someone on stage responded and all I could think was, "They have no idea who they're talking to," so when I passed the mic back down the row I said something about how art can so often guide us through the valleys of life and how the woman who'd just spoken had guided me through many of mine and when I said her name there was a collective gasp and Kathleen Chalfant, the star of the show and a brilliant actor, started to cry and then she talked about what Madeleine's work had meant to her. And so, in both directions, creator and receiver, we can simply never know. Your words, Megan, and the light you've allowed to flow through you, have been both gift and teacher in my own life and I'm so very grateful. Thank you.
On Tuesday I had to take my sister to the emergency room, and she has been transferred to a hospital 2.5 hours away (we live in a small town in the middle of nowhere) with an unknown heart issue. While it has been an incredibly difficult three days, people have been so kind. The nurse at the emergency room was so sweet and helpful, and she made sure I got to see my sister for a little bit while they wheeled her out to be airlifted, since they don’t allow anyone in the ER with her due to Covid. We are fairly new to town, and don’t have any family here besides each other, but my sister’s coworkers check on me every day. They’ve offered me rides to the hospital, one of them took my sister’s dog so that he could be taken care of while we’re running around, (and sends us adorable updates of his antics. He’s very happy with her and her husband) and they’re constantly offering to get me anything I need, any time. Humans can be the worst, but sometimes? Well, sometimes they’re pretty damn beautiful.
Memories make life beautiful for me. I lost my mother ten years ago and miss her terribly still; but there are two very, very special memories of times spent with her where we laughed that I-can’t-breath-please-stop kind of laugh. They became our secret inside jokes. Today, when I want to be with my mother again, when I really need her, I can think of those times and just start laughing all over again, out loud, and it is just me and my mom together again.
Tomorrow I do my PhD thesis defence. Finally going to be Dr Beth!
Also: in a crazy rental market (less than 1% vacancy) in my tiny home town, I found the cutest little bright blue HOUSE to live in! It's teeny-tiny but perfect for me and my dog and my private music lessons business :))
That there is so much promise for the future. I'm a high school English teacher and some of the things my students say and do just give me so much hope that there is still so much good and love in the world.
This is wonderful. Thank you! Something beautiful about life… we can find connection by simply putting pen to paper and writing to our own selves. That and my puppy just adores me and reminds me every day that love can be simple and pure (and floofy) 💕
This week just felt extra blah, and even with the same routines, everyone I talked to felt down as well.
The thing I always remind myself on hard days is that the sun will rise tomorrow. No matter what is going on in your life, in the world, there will be a sunrise and a new day. Sunsets are my favourite, but sunrises you can count on.
The thing that used to made me feel good pre-pandemic was dance classes, so this week I found a studio and tried three different styles of dance. Not only did moving my body feel great, but I was reminded of why we dance - to feel connected to your body and soul and to each other, to feel supported in your journey, and uplifted with music and spirit. :)
I rescued a pair of sibling kittens 8 years ago and fully intended to give them away but after bottle feeding them and litter box training them and basically doing all the hard work myself, obviously I fell in love with them and kept them both. The male was always more attached to me and would run to the front door whenever he heard me come home. Every day. He passed away suddenly from kidney failure a few months ago. Recently his sister, who is fairly uninterested in affection and stubbornly independent, has picked up the habit of running to the door everyday when I come home. I pick her up and we cuddle for a bit. I realize now that I'm telling this story, it might sound like a sad story, but it's the best part of my day.
Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki and Mischa Collins exist. Oh, and rhubarb and ginger gin. And children - I’m a teacher and the world is exhausting and too much right now but I have the honour and the privilege of immersing myself in 30 beautiful, innocent souls who make everything better for a few hours of my day. Everything else is so tough right now but they see me through. Big hugs to everyone xx
I am growing a lavender plant inside. Every day as it gets colder and colder it feels, I keep thinking she is not going to make it and everyday I wake up surprised to see another set of leaves! It makes me want to jump out of bed and open the blinds as soon as possible so she can get as much sunshine as possible! Also, winter sunsets! they are unmatched
This moment you're reunited with you're loved ones (friends, family, lovers or whoever who's important for you) with the tears, the laughters, the hugs, the spark in everyone's eyes. That feeling of peace and home.
People still take time out of their day for kindness! A colleague called me the other day just to talk about how much she values our cooperation and my opinion and geez did that feel good.
I'm so excited that there is so much left for me to learn. Like I'm excited to learn how to quilt, I'm excited to learn about how humans are going to innovate issues around climate change and that I might get to be a part of it. About things that aren't so practical too, like being excited to learn how they end Stranger Things, or what my next favorite songs are going to be. I'm excited to learn how to bake more things, I would love to learn how to do hydroponics, and I'm excited to read through my horror library.
While the internet can be an awful/scary place, it also allows you to randomly meet with people across the globe who come from completely different cultures and have a very different life and yet are so similar to you and become dear and close friends (even if it's been 5+ years and we've never met)
I love this Megan. You bring so much positivity to the world! I loved reading everyone’s post. Here is mine:
Dogs! They effortlessly bring so much joy. Come home from a long day at work? They are the first to greet you and make you feel like the most important person in the world! Feeling sad? You can almost guarantee your pup will pick up on that and be by your side. Need to get out of the house? Bring your furry friends along for a walk to clear your mind and get some fresh air! Then there’s just the watching of dogs. Watching them interact and play with other dogs, watching them do funny things unintentionally, watching them look so cute while sleeping. The satisfying feeling of spending time with them, petting them, and caring for them. Even little things like feeding them and taking them out to do their business makes you feel needed. Without you they wouldn’t survive! Dogs make the world a beautiful place and I am grateful for them!
It may sound lame, but what I feel is really beautiful about life is that there's nothing inherently wrong with "Life" itself. When I exercise my power to be autonomous and drink every delicious sip of conscious awareness (and all the delights that come with it) I know that people, places and things (the internet for example) are separate from reality's beautiful spirit of existence. The world and all her beauty is vibrant, thriving and well (always...without end), and when I realize this I unhook myself from the web and mire of melancholy despair.
That no matter what there are people trying and succeeding in making a difference in this world! Big or small, today or tomorrow, there are so many beautiful hearts working to make this earth a happier and healthier place to live ❤
Spring always comes. It might be early, or late, or cooler, or warmer-- but it always comes.
The feeling of genuine laughter with someone just can't be beat. The kind of laughter where your belly hurts and you aren't sure if you'll ever be able to stop. Those moments often remind me of how beautiful life can be.
My long distance friends who I haven’t seen since Covid started still send me ridiculous memes. It’s beautiful because every time I Get one I know they were thinking of me and that makes me feel so loved.
Thank you for this today 💕
Thinking of how beautiful it is to suddenly pay attention to the songs of the birds.. usually unheard, they have the power of gifting some brief moments of presence and joy 💫
we have skin that can feel the warmth of sunshine and the kiss of a cool breeze, the snap of cold, the breath of the world we are a part of.
This arrived in my inbox with perfect timing. Heavy is definitely the word for it.
Animals are beautiful. I am sat with my cat purring next to me and thinking how lovely it is to have her company and for her to enjoy mine. She doesn’t ask for much and she enjoys the simple pleasure of curling up next to me keeping warm.
Labrador puppies! And all puppies in general. Baby puppies, old puppies, rescue puppies, big puppies, little puppies, puppies as big as your head. All. The. Puppies.
That we can pick up any book and learn so many things, go to new places, feel all the emotions and grow. And the book can stay with us forever.
We are able to cultivate friendships with people we would otherwise never meet across the internet. I have friends in England, Korea, across the U.S., and Canada - and I hope to meet more! It's the best thing about the internet besides all of the knowledge that's just there and available. Sending you all so much love. <3
We can all still dance together, without shame or guilt or self-consciousness. Just unadulterated joy to dance with friends, family, strangers.
The joy of being happy with a new job where I finally feel like I matter and make a difference every day. Where people are kind and actually care about each other as people and not as stepping stones to get to the top.
We are free. Feel the power, the lightness, the possibilities. Your freedom is for you, you beautiful humans xxx
my dear friend texted me this morning—they did not know what to do or how to function when there is so much darkness happening. It felt pointless.
I said “I think the mechanics of living and enjoying this moment—the nature around you, the food you eat, the people you love—is never, ever pointless. Connection with the world, the divine, the love in your life, will never, ever not be valuable.”
there will be dark times. of course. but we are still able to love each other and to look to the sky & the water & the trees & feel something akin to peace.
So, tea is excellent warm and soothing.
No matter what pain a person may feel or have gone through. There is an intrinsic part of everyone that WANTS to help others feel less pain. That selfless passion, to me, is beautiful.
Sorting through old photos with my daughter last weekend and realised that roof tops and sky bring me joy
Struggle to be among people at times, and the sky and space makes me feel able to breathe freely
Thanks for making me reflect x
This is so important, today and every day. To build onto Megan's above, as an emerging writer (a few stories published here and there, loads of rejections...to be a writer is to live with constant rejection, no matter how "successful" you are), I sometimes need to be reminded that the real beauty is in just sitting down to do the work, creating the art itself. Of course, we all want to feel appreciated and valued—writing is ultimately supposed to be an act of communication and unfortunately there are a lot of out-of-touch gatekeepers who prevent important voices from being heard. But even if my partner reads my work and is moved by it, even if a handful of readers tell me they love my work—that's beautiful too, and it means I can keep going, keep creating the art I believe needs to exist in the world.
The mumuration of birds - their graceful dance in the sky where they move individually yet as one, rippling like ribbon in the wind.
That even though there are a few things in my life that are looking uncertain and that have me scared and stressed…I still have hope. Hope can be a very beautiful thing ❤️
This post just pulled me out of mindless doom-scrolling, so thank you. For me, music is beautiful and life changing. It's a medication for me. I find something in every genre of music that I like. Like you said about art, I greatly appreciate musical artists who share their songwriting, instruments, and voices with us. I love that I can sing and dance along to so many different beats. Music has gotten me through deaths, divorce, and many things in between.
There is always love. The love for yourself, for friends, for romance, the love for food, for nature, for routines and for adventures. And there is a beauty in finding that love in most unexpected places.
Really needed this today.
Children still laugh. The sound of a child laughing with delight, will lift my mood bo matter what. Its so innocent, and pure, and real.
Please forgive if this is too long, but your post reminded so specifically of an experience. In the late 90's I lived in NYC and got to know Madeleine L'engle - not well. I was in a writer's group that met at her house and my children attended school on the grounds where her office was located. One night we went to see the play "Wit," something we'd both wanted to see, and which we both loved, despite it being a play about illness and death. After the show they announced there would be a talkback with the actors and director. Madeleine, a person who had faced a lot of death and illness and who'd given me a great deal of courage by her example, raised her hand and spoke and I don't remember what she said, but someone on stage responded and all I could think was, "They have no idea who they're talking to," so when I passed the mic back down the row I said something about how art can so often guide us through the valleys of life and how the woman who'd just spoken had guided me through many of mine and when I said her name there was a collective gasp and Kathleen Chalfant, the star of the show and a brilliant actor, started to cry and then she talked about what Madeleine's work had meant to her. And so, in both directions, creator and receiver, we can simply never know. Your words, Megan, and the light you've allowed to flow through you, have been both gift and teacher in my own life and I'm so very grateful. Thank you.
On Tuesday I had to take my sister to the emergency room, and she has been transferred to a hospital 2.5 hours away (we live in a small town in the middle of nowhere) with an unknown heart issue. While it has been an incredibly difficult three days, people have been so kind. The nurse at the emergency room was so sweet and helpful, and she made sure I got to see my sister for a little bit while they wheeled her out to be airlifted, since they don’t allow anyone in the ER with her due to Covid. We are fairly new to town, and don’t have any family here besides each other, but my sister’s coworkers check on me every day. They’ve offered me rides to the hospital, one of them took my sister’s dog so that he could be taken care of while we’re running around, (and sends us adorable updates of his antics. He’s very happy with her and her husband) and they’re constantly offering to get me anything I need, any time. Humans can be the worst, but sometimes? Well, sometimes they’re pretty damn beautiful.
Memories make life beautiful for me. I lost my mother ten years ago and miss her terribly still; but there are two very, very special memories of times spent with her where we laughed that I-can’t-breath-please-stop kind of laugh. They became our secret inside jokes. Today, when I want to be with my mother again, when I really need her, I can think of those times and just start laughing all over again, out loud, and it is just me and my mom together again.
This post right here is beautiful - people coming together from so many different places to share some light in the world. Thank you Megan
Tomorrow I do my PhD thesis defence. Finally going to be Dr Beth!
Also: in a crazy rental market (less than 1% vacancy) in my tiny home town, I found the cutest little bright blue HOUSE to live in! It's teeny-tiny but perfect for me and my dog and my private music lessons business :))
Today I planted pea seeds, they’re nestled in tiny pots on my windowsill. If they grow, I’m gonna have lots of tiny pea plants that I can give away
Anxiety can be a beautiful thing. It can be a warning to listen to my gut.
We get to spend our time on this planet with pets & other animals!
When someone makes you feel genuinely wanted and worth something. Even if that's just taking some time out of their day to have a coffee with you.
That there is so much promise for the future. I'm a high school English teacher and some of the things my students say and do just give me so much hope that there is still so much good and love in the world.
This is wonderful. Thank you! Something beautiful about life… we can find connection by simply putting pen to paper and writing to our own selves. That and my puppy just adores me and reminds me every day that love can be simple and pure (and floofy) 💕
This week just felt extra blah, and even with the same routines, everyone I talked to felt down as well.
The thing I always remind myself on hard days is that the sun will rise tomorrow. No matter what is going on in your life, in the world, there will be a sunrise and a new day. Sunsets are my favourite, but sunrises you can count on.
The thing that used to made me feel good pre-pandemic was dance classes, so this week I found a studio and tried three different styles of dance. Not only did moving my body feel great, but I was reminded of why we dance - to feel connected to your body and soul and to each other, to feel supported in your journey, and uplifted with music and spirit. :)
I rescued a pair of sibling kittens 8 years ago and fully intended to give them away but after bottle feeding them and litter box training them and basically doing all the hard work myself, obviously I fell in love with them and kept them both. The male was always more attached to me and would run to the front door whenever he heard me come home. Every day. He passed away suddenly from kidney failure a few months ago. Recently his sister, who is fairly uninterested in affection and stubbornly independent, has picked up the habit of running to the door everyday when I come home. I pick her up and we cuddle for a bit. I realize now that I'm telling this story, it might sound like a sad story, but it's the best part of my day.
Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki and Mischa Collins exist. Oh, and rhubarb and ginger gin. And children - I’m a teacher and the world is exhausting and too much right now but I have the honour and the privilege of immersing myself in 30 beautiful, innocent souls who make everything better for a few hours of my day. Everything else is so tough right now but they see me through. Big hugs to everyone xx
I am growing a lavender plant inside. Every day as it gets colder and colder it feels, I keep thinking she is not going to make it and everyday I wake up surprised to see another set of leaves! It makes me want to jump out of bed and open the blinds as soon as possible so she can get as much sunshine as possible! Also, winter sunsets! they are unmatched
My dogs, they are just always happy. They are always happy to see you, to eat the same thing everyday. They make my days lighter
This moment you're reunited with you're loved ones (friends, family, lovers or whoever who's important for you) with the tears, the laughters, the hugs, the spark in everyone's eyes. That feeling of peace and home.
The power and the comfort of the squeeziest hugs from someone or something (dogs included) you love 💞
People still take time out of their day for kindness! A colleague called me the other day just to talk about how much she values our cooperation and my opinion and geez did that feel good.
I'm so excited that there is so much left for me to learn. Like I'm excited to learn how to quilt, I'm excited to learn about how humans are going to innovate issues around climate change and that I might get to be a part of it. About things that aren't so practical too, like being excited to learn how they end Stranger Things, or what my next favorite songs are going to be. I'm excited to learn how to bake more things, I would love to learn how to do hydroponics, and I'm excited to read through my horror library.
Dogs exist. They see the world through pure eyes and just keep showing up with love and grace -- no matter what is happening in the world 🥰
While the internet can be an awful/scary place, it also allows you to randomly meet with people across the globe who come from completely different cultures and have a very different life and yet are so similar to you and become dear and close friends (even if it's been 5+ years and we've never met)
I love this Megan. You bring so much positivity to the world! I loved reading everyone’s post. Here is mine:
Dogs! They effortlessly bring so much joy. Come home from a long day at work? They are the first to greet you and make you feel like the most important person in the world! Feeling sad? You can almost guarantee your pup will pick up on that and be by your side. Need to get out of the house? Bring your furry friends along for a walk to clear your mind and get some fresh air! Then there’s just the watching of dogs. Watching them interact and play with other dogs, watching them do funny things unintentionally, watching them look so cute while sleeping. The satisfying feeling of spending time with them, petting them, and caring for them. Even little things like feeding them and taking them out to do their business makes you feel needed. Without you they wouldn’t survive! Dogs make the world a beautiful place and I am grateful for them!
It may sound lame, but what I feel is really beautiful about life is that there's nothing inherently wrong with "Life" itself. When I exercise my power to be autonomous and drink every delicious sip of conscious awareness (and all the delights that come with it) I know that people, places and things (the internet for example) are separate from reality's beautiful spirit of existence. The world and all her beauty is vibrant, thriving and well (always...without end), and when I realize this I unhook myself from the web and mire of melancholy despair.
Dogs. Always Dogs. We don't deserve them but I am oh so here to try.
That no matter what there are people trying and succeeding in making a difference in this world! Big or small, today or tomorrow, there are so many beautiful hearts working to make this earth a happier and healthier place to live ❤