Abundance in the New Year, Rubik’s cubes, random selfies, and more (7 Quick Takes)

~1~

Whenever I have avocado toast for breakfast, I remember the year that my New Year’s resolution was eating avocado toast more often. I didn’t make any resolutions this year, trusting instead in slow growth and small steps.

This weekend, though, I saw that Laura Fanucci shared a link to a poem by Amy Schmidt called “Abundance.” It’s absolutely beautiful. I’ve been carrying it with me since I read it.

Maybe, just maybe, instead of approaching life and thinking there is never enough time, or I’m failing in many ways, I can think instead of the abundance of what I have been given, all that I can bring to the day, all that I have achieved, and all the opportunity that lies ahead.

Abundance. Now there’s a word for the year.

~2~

It’s still Christmas over here, and I’m holding onto it for as long as I can. I’m so happy that our tree and some of our other decorations are still up. I am also never in a hurry to put away the Christmas flyswatter wreath on our front door that my friend Cherie made for me.

Cherie and I met our children on the same day in China in 2009, and we became forever friends. She created this beautiful wreath and sent it to me years ago, and it makes me smile every time I look at it.

I recognize that Christmas will have to end at some point, but I’m really only interested in that happening so we can celebrate Chinese New Year.

~3~

I haven’t purchased lots of Year of the Rabbit items, but I did get some red envelopes. Traditionally, you fill them with money to give to children—and we will do that for our sons. But I will also slip some Year of the Rabbit fortune scratch-off cards into some of the envelopes and share them with people as the opportunity arises.

We used to have a big Chinese New Year bash every year, but Covid took that away for the past few years. Maybe we can bring that back next year in the Year of the Dragon, which just happens to be my year.

~4~

Earlier this week, out of nowhere, I suddenly thought of the father of a friend, whose funeral I attended a while ago. I had a vague sense that he had passed away in the winter, but I would never have been able to tell you a month. I Googled him, and when his obituary popped up, I saw that he had died that very day three years earlier.

It felt like a nudge from the Holy Spirit. Being able to text my friend on her dad’s anniversary to tell her she was in my thoughts was so special. I love how God connects with us throughout the day, sometimes gently tapping on our shoulders to get our attention.

~5~

Who’s reading Spare? I’m listening to Harry read the audiobook in his very British voice. Should I be spending my time on this? Perhaps not. Am I? Yes, yes, I am.

~6~

One of my favorite things about being a parent—and it’s a long list—is watching my sons’ interests develop and change over time. I love seeing them discover what they like and really pour themselves into new adventures.

They lose me completely with the Rubik’s cubes, but I enjoy watching the rows of squares fly around one another as they solve the cube. I have absolutely no idea how they do it, and I don’t really want to watch all the YouTube videos to figure it out. But I admire the skill.

~7~

Sometimes when I look through my phone, I can’t believe some of the random selfies I’ve taken—like this one of me with some stuffed animals.

But I remember why I took it. I was shopping and saw a large stuffed unicorn. My gift to my sister Treasa was sending her a selfie of me with it so she could appreciate the unicorn’s size—and appreciate even more that I wasn’t buying it for the unicorn enthusiast in her family.

Maybe other people have the same approach to shopping and selfie-taking. I like to think I’m not unusual here. Or maybe I am a unicorn, after all.

Copyright © 2023 Catholic Review Media

 Print