Things I Am Liking

The view in sight, an NPR story, something to eat: a special round of the little things that have made me happy in the past week or so.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence I have started this column. When I started it, however, a few weeks ago, I didn’t know I was scratching the surface of something much deeper, much bigger. I didn’t know it would become a regular, on Substack.

I have recently returned from a beautiful, relaxing vacation in Hawaii.

During my week in Oahu I unplugged. I allowed time and space for thoughts, considerations, emotions, feelings and ideas to come up.

I won’t go deep into this, as it will be a more in-depth conversation in my April newsletter, but it has a lot to do with the ability not only to enjoy the things around me, but also the practice of looking for them, putting in effort to notice what makes me happy, what I already have, what I am grateful for.

This is why I love writing this column. Because it makes me ask myself questions, look around my environment, my calendar of activities, my pantry, my kitchen, my garden, my grocery cart, my relationships. It helps me notice things that I have either taken for granted, or enjoyed without realizing how much pleasure and light they actually brought me.

I love all that you are sharing in response, and I look forward to reading what you have been liking this past week or so.

These are mine:

• Pausing to look at the stunning view of the city from my windows

When Benmont and I bought this house, in the spring of 2019, the first thing we fell in love with was the view.

A very long time ago, one early morning, I woke up at a man’s house, after spending the night with him. As I stepped out on the terrace off his living room, I remember thinking: