Celebrating the Ordinary, vol 2

No way around it... this week started out as doozy. 
There some days where you feel like the universe took a wet towel, twisted it up, and then just beat the living snot out of you with it. Before Wednesday even arrived, I found myself asking questions like "Why me?" and "What did I do to deserve this?" and "Please stop hitting me, Universe, you big mean bully!" At one point, I found myself sitting on the couch, head bowed, begging for strength and faith to just face the day. 
Here's a hard truth: Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to do everything right, to make good decisions, to be a decent, God-fearing person.... crap just happens. You can't change or prevent it. And swallowing your ire and saying "it is what it is" gives you indigestion. Saying "it's just too bad" feels like giving up, or like you're condoning bad behavior by not retaliating. News flash: turning the other cheek hurts. Nothing quite prepares you for that life lesson. 
Then, one morning, I walked downstairs to find this simple scene: a shaft of light steaming into the dark kitchen and illuminating a dish rag. No big deal right? Yet somehow, to me, this little scene seemed so beautiful in its simplicity. The remainder of the room rested in this early-morning dimness. Nothing disturbed, everything still in its place before the day began. Just one pale beam of light on a winter morning. Simple and clean. Absurdly, I thought "I'm so happy I saw this." Within a few minutes, the sun had shifted, and with it the light faded and moved to another place. 
Yes, bad and unexpected nonsense happens to us. People are mean. People are dishonest. Mistakes are made. Traffic is sucky. The weather runs afoul. Who knows. Yet there's going to be a beam of light, shining in to make you feel clean and happy again. 
Favorite reads from around the inter-webs:
I love Whit's insights into social media engagement: are we seeking to share our story or just create an image? 
A basic primer for the U.S. primaries. Am I the only one who needed this? I hope not. 
Sooooo... would you go a month without shampooing your hair? I don't know if I could handle it.
I've always struggled with self-confidence. Then, one of my former professors told me "to wear a sharp suit and act like you're powerful until you feel powerful. It'll fool everyone else too." Turns out he was onto something according to the Everygirl. 

Do you ever look at others' social media accounts, grumpily wondering how they can afford/have time to travel? Well, moping about it is one of three ways to ensure you'll never travel. Instead, be purposeful about it: plan and budget your dream trip, just like everything else. 

Try these yummy Valentine's Day shortbread cookies. They're like mini cakes!