I have two quotes that I stumbled across in 2010 (thanks to my lovely book club which I love to no end) that sum up the past year for me, here they are...
"When did I first experience the exquisite sense of surrender that is possible only with another person? The peace of mind one experiences on one's own, one's certainty of self in the serenity of solitude, are nothing in comparison to the release and openness and fluency one shares with another, in close companionship." --Elegance of the Hedgehog p. 277
"...I have finally concluded, maybe that's what life is about; there is a lot of despair, but also the odd moment of beauty, where time is no longer the same. It's as if those strains of music created a sort of interlude in time, something suspended, an elsewhere that had come to us, an always within never. Yes, that's it an always within never....Because from now on, for you, I'll be searching for those moments of always within never. Beauty, in this world." --Elegance of the Hedgehog p. 325
When I look back on 2010, the things that bring me the most joy are the people that I was fortunate enough to share so much of the year with. This past year, the bay has felt more like home than ever and I fully attribute that to the amazing network of friends that I am lucky enough to have here - life is truly so much sweeter when you get to share it with people that you love, respect and are inspired by. Lindsey, Kat and Laura and their so's have become absolute treasures to me in the past year and a half and have nourished my mind and spirit in so many more ways than I could possibly recount in the confines of this blog. From book club conversations that spill into life conversations to life celebrations to just down right heart felt gatherings that always include yummy foods where you can just see and feel the love we share for another pouring out of handmade pom-pom decorations, hearty bowls of soup, special soba, soba buckwheat noodle dishes, garden table settings, simple spots of tea, cheese, glorious Yosemite camping trips, surprise tickets to the Nutcraker etc etc etc - a day, an afternoon or an hour with these girls never ceases to make "my cup runneth over." I share with these women a gratitude for the small things in life and the power of this common ground has created a pretty amazing dynamic. The simple sweetnesses in life are what it's all about in my mind and I love that when I am with Laura, Kat or Lindsey, I can gush about what may seem like the simplest thing and they don't think I'm crazy, in fact they join right in -praising the beauty of a gingko biloba leaf, the slow but steady (or not so steady) progress of home grown vegetables, the brilliant colors of fall, the unending fun of a simple picnic in the park, or backyard barbeque, the love in a bunch of hydrangeas in mason jars on a table populated by people who mean the world to you. These women amaze me- they each have a way of putting forth a little extra effort and a unique personal touch to make simple occasions feel absolutely elegant and exotic.
And as if these girls aren't enough, I also got to share 2010 with an absolutely amazing man. Absolutely amazing. We celebrated our one year anniversary on Nov. 21st (Friend family Thanksgiving where we met for the first time last year) AND Dec. 19th (our first official date) and I have just loved every moment of the past year with him, from trail runs to roof top gardening to Salt Lake and Arches road trips to birthday BBQs with the WHOLE fam (who I just adore) to Minneapolis weddings to strawberry jam and pickle making adventures, to grad school support services, to hosting Friend Thanksgiving #2, to Thanksgiving trips in San Diego to reading books out loud on long road trips together, to first time cross country skiing experiences to simply cuddling on the couch and relaxing together - this man speaks straight to my heart. There's so much I could share about how much I love him and how amazing I think he is - but for the sake of saving you from a never-ending story, I'll share one of my favorite parts about him as of late... Whenever we are packing up to go somewhere or getting ready in the morning or making food together, he asks the simplest, but sweetest question, he says, "What can I do to support you?" I just love this so much about him - it completely captures his selflessness. He is always thinking of little things that he can do to make others happy or to help them in whatever task is in front of them - big or small. In the mornings when I'm getting ready, he makes my tea for me (without me even asking!) just the way I like because it usually takes me twice the amount of time to get ready. The other day on our XC ski trip, he packed a surprise thermos of hot chocolate because the day before we left I had been going on and on about how fun it would be to have some hot cocoa while we were out on the trails. They're simple things, but he does them with so much love that they bring me to tears and more than anything make me believe that our relationship is a caring partnership, one that we are in together and one that is up for any challenge.
Through the good and bad of 2010, it is companionship as well as a constant search for beauty in this world that have sustained and reinvigorated me. I am endlessly grateful for the people I am blessed to share this life with and for a life perspective that constantly pushes me to search for and find beauty in even the simplest things.
On that note, I am simply so excited about the challenges and the fun that I am sure 2011 will bring! Here is to a year of loving loved ones and being awe-struck by the beauty that truly is all around us.
"...I have finally concluded, maybe that's what life is about; there is a lot of despair, but also the odd moment of beauty, where time is no longer the same. It's as if those strains of music created a sort of interlude in time, something suspended, an elsewhere that had come to us, an always within never. Yes, that's it an always within never....Because from now on, for you, I'll be searching for those moments of always within never. Beauty, in this world." --Elegance of the Hedgehog p. 325
When I look back on 2010, the things that bring me the most joy are the people that I was fortunate enough to share so much of the year with. This past year, the bay has felt more like home than ever and I fully attribute that to the amazing network of friends that I am lucky enough to have here - life is truly so much sweeter when you get to share it with people that you love, respect and are inspired by. Lindsey, Kat and Laura and their so's have become absolute treasures to me in the past year and a half and have nourished my mind and spirit in so many more ways than I could possibly recount in the confines of this blog. From book club conversations that spill into life conversations to life celebrations to just down right heart felt gatherings that always include yummy foods where you can just see and feel the love we share for another pouring out of handmade pom-pom decorations, hearty bowls of soup, special soba, soba buckwheat noodle dishes, garden table settings, simple spots of tea, cheese, glorious Yosemite camping trips, surprise tickets to the Nutcraker etc etc etc - a day, an afternoon or an hour with these girls never ceases to make "my cup runneth over." I share with these women a gratitude for the small things in life and the power of this common ground has created a pretty amazing dynamic. The simple sweetnesses in life are what it's all about in my mind and I love that when I am with Laura, Kat or Lindsey, I can gush about what may seem like the simplest thing and they don't think I'm crazy, in fact they join right in -praising the beauty of a gingko biloba leaf, the slow but steady (or not so steady) progress of home grown vegetables, the brilliant colors of fall, the unending fun of a simple picnic in the park, or backyard barbeque, the love in a bunch of hydrangeas in mason jars on a table populated by people who mean the world to you. These women amaze me- they each have a way of putting forth a little extra effort and a unique personal touch to make simple occasions feel absolutely elegant and exotic.
And as if these girls aren't enough, I also got to share 2010 with an absolutely amazing man. Absolutely amazing. We celebrated our one year anniversary on Nov. 21st (Friend family Thanksgiving where we met for the first time last year) AND Dec. 19th (our first official date) and I have just loved every moment of the past year with him, from trail runs to roof top gardening to Salt Lake and Arches road trips to birthday BBQs with the WHOLE fam (who I just adore) to Minneapolis weddings to strawberry jam and pickle making adventures, to grad school support services, to hosting Friend Thanksgiving #2, to Thanksgiving trips in San Diego to reading books out loud on long road trips together, to first time cross country skiing experiences to simply cuddling on the couch and relaxing together - this man speaks straight to my heart. There's so much I could share about how much I love him and how amazing I think he is - but for the sake of saving you from a never-ending story, I'll share one of my favorite parts about him as of late... Whenever we are packing up to go somewhere or getting ready in the morning or making food together, he asks the simplest, but sweetest question, he says, "What can I do to support you?" I just love this so much about him - it completely captures his selflessness. He is always thinking of little things that he can do to make others happy or to help them in whatever task is in front of them - big or small. In the mornings when I'm getting ready, he makes my tea for me (without me even asking!) just the way I like because it usually takes me twice the amount of time to get ready. The other day on our XC ski trip, he packed a surprise thermos of hot chocolate because the day before we left I had been going on and on about how fun it would be to have some hot cocoa while we were out on the trails. They're simple things, but he does them with so much love that they bring me to tears and more than anything make me believe that our relationship is a caring partnership, one that we are in together and one that is up for any challenge.
Through the good and bad of 2010, it is companionship as well as a constant search for beauty in this world that have sustained and reinvigorated me. I am endlessly grateful for the people I am blessed to share this life with and for a life perspective that constantly pushes me to search for and find beauty in even the simplest things.
On that note, I am simply so excited about the challenges and the fun that I am sure 2011 will bring! Here is to a year of loving loved ones and being awe-struck by the beauty that truly is all around us.
