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The Introspective Salon
Huzah! Here I am, making good on a promise I made myself, that I would make a montly favorites. As nearly every other person, I was pretty busy in December, but also, well, I always think I could be busier. Nevertheless, I spent quite a lot of my time doing something that I'll mention below. I have come up with two favorites for this month, activities that I enjoyed, and I'd like to make sure I remember them, because, you know, the allure of television sometimes badgers me. The sitcoms of the 90s and early 2000s are a guilty pleasure of mine. Oh, and there was that time last year when I got caught in a funk of watching Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners (probably should have included that show in a favorites). But, I digress. The image I've used for this category is meant for family because it's like a picture frame. It works. It's a masterpiece of imagery. My first favorite for this month is visiting my Grandpa. It is not a favorite that he had to get both his knees replaced and be in recovery at a rehabilitation facility for two weeks, but it is a favorite that the facility was here, where I live, and I got to visit him nearly every day. In my own head, I tout the importance of family, but I often let myself believe that I'm too busy to see them. Well, I didn't have that excuse this time. I'm the least busy I've probably ever been in my life, especially since I've been on break from school, so I made it a priority to go and visit him. It was nice to see him because I made the effort, and so, for the first time, it was like I was seeing him as a man who is more than just my Grandpa. I guess it seems silly, like no-duh he has a life besides his grandkids, but when the only time you see someone is for family get-togethers it can be easy to forget the life your extended family has outside of holidays and birthday parties. I was so glad that I had the time for him while he was healing. It was wonderful to see all my family come to support him. Someone was there with him every day and I was able to see how big a difference family support can make when you're in recovery. I feel like I should have more of a story to weave, but I did write a small vignette about the experience that you can read here. The book icon isn't entirely accurate, here, because this favorite is a blog, but you know, Microsoft Word still uses the floppy disk as an icon for save. I stumbled across the blog Brainpickings several years ago now, but only just recently started truly engaging with its material. This beautiful little blog is clearly well-researched and crafted with care and passion. All week I've had articles open in countless tabs so I wouldn't forget to read them later. One of my favorites was, The Science of Stress and How our Emotions Affect Our Susceptibility to Burnout and Disease. Did you know, the modern concept of 'stress' wasn't even explored until the 1950s? No wonder American culture still has such a hard time grasping the idea that working 80 hour weeks increases our chances of falling ill. It's amazing, too, how the author, Maria Popova, maintains an ad-free space. She is clearly dedicated to her work. I highly recommend Popova's blog. Now, I can't recommend you go visit my Grandpa, but I do recommend you make more time for loved ones. Being able to surround yourself with friends and family is truly a blessing. Go forth, will you, to visit your family and read more.
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