the beauty of the everyday

hi friends! It’s been a while since i’ve done a regular ole “what i’m doing now” post, so i thought i’d surprise you with a little wednesday greeting. it’s been a pretty cozy day for me, but the november weather has most definitely taken a turn for the worse. all of those lovely, bright, colorful days of october are just a distant dream now. and, even though it hasn’t been cloudy + chilly every day, the leaves are in a whole different phase – the turning muted, brownish kind of phase. beautiful in their own way, though, as lina is teaching me to say (since i complained about it yesterday. hehe).

so, here’s how my day has gone:

i took the car to get serviced this morning. fun fun. i had my computer with me, though, so i got a little writing and planning done. plus, there was an adorable little girl + her dad there who kept me entertained.

then, i went to fika with my fika group. yep, i am still meeting with my little coffee group on every wednesday in a different cafe in asheville. my year anniversary is coming up next week – how freaking crazy is that?! i believe that i now have over 150 fika lovers as part of the group. of course, on any given week, between 12 and 18 usually show up. which, in itself is a big group for a cafe. today, however, there were only 7 of us. and that was super cozy. i had a chance to really talk with some people.

it’s crazy. it’s such an eclectic group of people. one of my members lives in his car – keeping his footprint on the earth as minimal as possible. a few have swedish relatives + connections. most are new to asheville. there are older ladies, middle-aged men, a few lesbian couples, some young working people,  a few high maintenance people, some complainers + bitch-ers, some sunshine-y, thoughtful people, and a lot of creative, eclectic artists. all in all, a super amazing group of people from all walks of life.

and, even though the group has driven me crazy sometimes, like when people complain to me about the size or shape of the tables at the cafe (seriously!) or leave rude, hurtful bullying comments, it has been a true blessing and an incredible opportunity to meet people and help connect people to one another. i suppose that it has become my little fika congregation.

but, the highlight of my day so far has been a friend request on Facebook. one of my former students at a high school i used to teach at in asheville 4 years ago found me on fb and asked me to “friend” him. so, i did. now, this kid (who is now an actual adult – gaaaah!) was very special to me back when i was teaching. he and i had a great working relationship, and i ended up being someone he learned to trust and count on. he was just a sweetheart, and all i wanted was for him (like my other kiddos) to succeed and feel good about who he was.

anyway, after friending him, he sent me a message, which humbled and touched me to my core. it is not often that teachers (or anyone) have the chance to hear how they have (hopefully) affected a student. but, this student of mine, wrote to tell me that i made a difference to him, that he could not have made it through high school without my help.

yep. now i can die happy. if there is one thing that i have always wanted in life, it is to know that i have made a difference to someone’s life. that who i am and what i have done matters – that’s what we all want. needless to say, hearing all the kind warms warmed my heart greatly, but knowing that this student is doing well, is happy, and is working, and has a girl that he loves, makes me even more happy. i am one freaking proud teacher. *wipes a tear from her eye*

now, i am all settled in at a cozy, funky cafe with my love. we are having a little working date together, sipping on chai and pumpkin spice lattes. soon, it’s time to go to a dinner party at our friends’ home around the corner from here. we’re gonna make some amazing plans for the summer – they are musicians/artists and we are planning a tour for them to europe! (gesine and nicole and midas, if you are reading this, we probably be contacting you regarding this soon!).

i just have one more thing to say, then, i’ll let you get on with your day… days like this, regular days, may seem ordinary and boring. but, when we look back and look at all of the little moments together, we see that our lives are actually extraordinary. at least that is how i feel today. blessed. inspired. grateful. and so very happy.

what have you done today? what do you have planned? i’m sending you lots of love + light + and wishing you a beautiful evening or morning. all of my love and peace i leave with you.

xx