1. What I'm reading
Unsurprisingly, I follow a lot of literary-adjacent accounts on social media, so when poet Mary Oliver died a few months ago, my Internet was chock full of quotes and snippets from her poetry. So, I checked out Evidence: Poems from my local library, and it proved to be a delight. Mary Oliver writes poetry that is really accessible, and I found that reading a poem or two a day was like the literary equivalent of eating a small piece of dark chocolate, or the perfect cup of coffee or tea. I also recently finished The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu, by Joshua Hammer which was a fascinating look at the rich cultural and intellectual history of the Mali region, the various political and religious conflicts that have threatened to erase that history and heritage, and the people who worked to preserve that heritage. The author is a journalist, and that background comes through in his spare and succinct writing, but I think it served the story well, allowing the story and place to shine.
2. What I'm listening to:
I've got the new album by Johnnyswim -- Moonlight -- on repeat right now. It is just so good.
3. What I'm grateful for:
There's always so much to be grateful for, but today I'm particularly grateful for conversations with friends.
4. A little inspiration:
I have a twofer for inspiration this week. The first is a blog post from author and podcaster Emily P. Freeman. It's a really thoughtful essay about regret, particularly as it relates to making decisions. I have a tendency to look back and analyze decisions I've made and waste a lot of effort thinking of all the things I could have done differently, so her words really spoke to me.
How to Handle Regret: When Your Next Right Thing Turns Out Wrong
My second bit of inspiration comes from Mary Oliver (I'd give you the whole poem, but that's copyright infringement, but I think this little taste is still worth it)
"...Sometimes I need
only to stand
wherever I am
to be blessed."
--excerpt from "It was Early" by Mary Oliver
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