After work yesterday, I snuck off to the lake for the afternoon, hung out with my family, ate dinner, drank a bottle of wine, did pull-ups outside while it rained, went to bed early, and woke up at 4:00 AM to make it back to Charlottesville in time to open the coffee shop. It was one of those fast, quiet things in my life that mean so much to me when they're over.

 Sending more things home from Charlottesville.

 Majestic Cockapoo

Brother with a haircut, home for the summer. 

Red, red wine. 

We love artichokes.

The sun came up this morning while I was driving over Afton Mountain, and I was reminded of something I said on a road trip almost five years ago., which was "I don't know how someone can look at all of this and not believe in God."

I have since become less judgmental and absolute in my beliefs, but as I turned off at the edge of the highway, I looked across the valley and felt something. The mountains, the pink light coming up from behind them, the unknown purpose of life, the hope in spite of everything else--I guess that's what they call sublimity. You can stand alone, but you're not alone.

"Five years have past; five summers, with the length

Of five long winters! and again I hear 

These waters, rolling from their mountain-springs

With a sweet inland murmur.--Once again

Do I behold these steep and lofty cliffs,

Which on a wild secluded scene impress 

Thoughts of more deep seclusion; and connect

The landscape with the quiet of the sky."

--From William Wordsworth's Tintern Abbey

About four years ago, I read Where the Wild Things Are for a class, and Maurice Sendak changed the way I thought about Children's Literature. I guess you could say he made me start to think about Children's Literature. Never before had I seen an author treat his young audience with such respect, or write and illustrate short stories packed with such worth.

++

"Max stepped into his private boat and waved good-bye and sailed back over a year and in and out of weeks and through a day and into the night of his very own room where he found his supper waiting for him...and it was still hot." 

--Where the Wild Things Are

Rest in peace, Mr. Sendak. Thank you for getting me to where I am.

I came across this beautiful series last week, and I was so smitten with the theme that I had to throw my two cents in.

I'm approaching my twenty-fourth birthday this September, and these past few years have taught me a thing or two.

[In the old apartment with old hair, reading Old Friend from Far Away, taken March 2011.]

+ Learn to let go. There are only so many things that you can control. Do what you can with those and just let go of the rest. Life is too short to be stressed out about things that you just can't do anything about.

+ You are too old to allow anyone to make you feel badly about yourself. Don't waste any more time on someone who consistently makes you feel like crap. Just move on. You're a grown-up! You deserve good people in your life.

+ You are too young to settle. Mediocre friends, a job you hate; anything that breeds negativity. Get rid of it.

+ Don't you dare feel bad about feeling good about yourself.

+ You are capable of feeling grief that you never thought was possible. Someone will probably dump you. People will die. Life will change, and you will freak out about it. You won't know how to deal with it, and then one day, you will.

+ Figure out what works for you and do it. The way you work, the way you eat, the way you deal with stress--just find out how you manage life the best and do it that way. Don't worry if it's not the way other people do it.

+ Just be nice. Stop judging. People are going to blow your mind sometimes, but you have no idea why they do what they do. Even if you're pretty sure, just stop and focus on bettering yourself instead. Pointing out someone's flaws doesn't make you any less flawed.

+ Someone else's success doesn't make you a failure. Get over it.

+ You truly get what you give. Work hard, laugh hard, love a lot, have fun, and really take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way.

+ Forgive, and then forget, dammit! Let go of the grudges. Move on with your life.

+ There is truly no limit to what the power of thinking positively can do for you. Visualize what you want from your life and focus on that every day. Inspire yourself with your thoughts and good things will follow.

+ Just love yourself, unconditionally. No explanation needed.