i recently started reading ross gay’s the book of delights, a series of essays he wrote over the course of an entire year, and as a result i have many thoughts swirling around in my head. i love that the essays are short and only take a few minutes to read; they really are simply missives that ran through his head on any given day.

one of my main thoughts is that i would love to have that discipline. gay himself admits that he skipped a day or two, but the fact remains that he wrote something nearly every day for a year. a few years ago i decided to write one postcard for every day of the year, but more often than not i put it off to the weekend and then wrote seven in one go. there have been a few times when i’ve published posts on here every day for a month, but the vast majority of them were drafted and scheduled ahead of time; only a few desperate ones were written in the moment. i know many friends have extolled the virtues of keeping a daily gratitude journal, and while i am open to trying it i don’t think that’s quite the solution for me. i am toying around with a few ideas and will see what sticks.

but more than anything, this book has given me pause to think about how often i notice when something delights me and allow myself to enjoy it. for example, i love it when i receive a card from a friend, but i usually read it once or twice and then tuck it away in a keepsake box. a select few get added to the fridge – usually the ones with pictures of friends’ kids or dogs – but i want to be more intentional about taking extra time to sit and enjoy how happy it makes me feel when i receive mail from someone i love.

that’s just one small example, but there are many things that delight me. driving in the car while my mother takes many naps next to me. meeting a new puppy friend. a good, solid hug. watching ted lasso. switching off my phone for a day and ignoring the outside world. getting out in nature.

i still have many more essays to read in this collection, but it has already provided much food for thought. we’ll see what else i have to share once i finish.

for today, i would love to know: what delights you?

xx