Honestly, it’s been a hard week for all of us. But these are the weeks when we have to find the things that give us light. Here are three beautiful things from my past week:

1. My Saturday volleyball league is helmed by a really nice guy, John, who brought a case of water with him and made sure we paused in between sets to cool off in the shade and rehydrate on the hottest day of the year so far. Plus, he carried that water and a volleyball net plus a solar charging pad, battery, and other assorted odds and ends to the field on his scooter.

2. As I was walking to the farmers market yesterday, I passed a cyclist who looked to be about my mother’s age. His bike was outfitted with spoke beads and a music speaker, and he was sporting a velour duster and a blue mohawk bike helmet.

3. My brother and brother-not-in-law are visiting the northeast this week, and my brother texted me a photo of them and my parents together.

How about you? What’s been beautiful in your world lately?

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. A friend who’d been out of work for a while started a new job this morning.

2. A friend who had a baby last month sent new photos of her daughter.

3. I spent the evening at the park reading amidst the irises.

How about you? What’s been beautiful in your world lately?

Hey there. There are a lot of really important things that are not beautiful in the world right now and it’s easy to get caught up in that and to feel that the negatives are winning. But they aren’t. They’re just the loudest. There are beautiful, positive things, too, either occurring naturally or of our own or someone else’s making. That’s what these posts on Thursdays are meant to focus on — finding the kind, the wondrous, or the beautiful moments that are just waiting for us to see them.

Here are three of those moments from my past week:

1. Every vacant lot, field, verge, or tuft of plants are dotted in buttercups at the moment. They’ll be gone in two weeks, but for now I’m appreciating the cheerful jolt of color every time I see it.

2. As I was reading posts in a forum on Ravelry leading up to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, one poster suggested adding insoles to galoshes to make being in them all day more palatable. As I wore my wellies all day on Friday about town, I was reminded how much more comfortable mine used to be when I had more supportive footbeds I’d switch into them. I picked up a new pair (I’d never replaced the old pair after I drove off with the hiking boots containing them on the roof of my car) on Saturday and my feet, hips, and knees were so grateful on Sunday.

3. Rudi and I were biking back from the Mets-Nationals game (yay, Mets!) this afternoon when we passed some of the local daycare child caterpillars out for their afternoon stroll. I dinged my bell merrily for them as we each went our own way, and the wee children stared from their group strollers and walking ropes and waved.

How about you? What’s been beautiful in your world lately?

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. Playing with kids in my new volunteer gig.

2. The first outdoor concert of the season, followed in short order by the first bar (patio) concert since COVID began.

3. Strawberries in our yogurt. Risotto with fiddleheads. A salad with pea shoots, garlic chives, and asparagus. Stir fry with pak choy from the garden

How about you? What’s been beautiful in your world lately?

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. Daytime baseball

2. Azaleas in bloom

3. A trip to the beach that coincides with a bonfire and marshmallow roast.

How about you? What’s been beautiful in your world lately?

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. A long weekend at home with my parents.

2. Sleeping in every day.

3. Rudi bought me a present — a new Wild Places print of D.C. as defined by its literary outposts. In addition to pinpointing all the libraries and bookstores, all the geographic features are done in words, such as “Potomac River” or “Rock Creek Park.” I adore it.

How about you? What’s been beautiful in your world lately?