Small Joys
Another week has come and passed already, and it's time to reflect on small joys for this week once again. This week has been a challenge for me in many ways. My body has been run ragged from night shift (and pretty crazy night shifts, at that), I'm growing more gray hair by the day trying to figure out my taxes, and I've had a series of unfortunate news this week. That said, there is still joy to be had in the week.
No. 1: Finishing a book. What a sense of accomplishment it brings one to be able to finish a book, particularly one that has been on your nightstand for almost two months. I finally finished one of my books for book club and am now making progress through another (this one was also supposed to be completed in December and I failed miserably at that. I'm liking it as a February read though).
No. 2: A day for love. It's true, I love Valentine's Day. Not in the sappy, romantic way, but just in terms of celebrating love. It's an entire day to celebrate love. I know some people say you should celebrate love year round, which is true, but we often don't. We get caught up in our busy lives and take our loved ones for granted. A day for love is just what this world needs every once in a while. I wish we could have more of them. I thought I'd be spending my Valentine's Day mostly alone, so I cooked some coconut shrimp, baked sweet potato waffle fries, and steamed broccoli, poured a glass of red wine, and watched How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days and the beginning of Gone with the Wind. It was a pleasant treat to be able to Skype with Scott and celebrate our 7th Valentine's Day together over funny YouTube videos and talk of seeing one another in a few weeks.
No. 3: Catching up with good friends. In the past week, I've had a pretty good opportunity to catch up with friends either in person over coffee, on the phone, or through letters. I often overbook myself with catch-up dates with friends, but relationships are so important to me and I am always sad to lose one to negligence. I'm careful to maintain my friendships and seek out friends who I don't see all too often.
No. 4: Progress with short-term savings goals. And long-term ones. This year has been a year of increased financial responsibility for me. I'm blessed to have graduated debt-free from Carolina and have been able to start saving for goals that I have in the future. Retirement, "emergencies," car maintenance, maybe a wedding someday... all things that I've been able to start planning for and saving for this year. It's a bit daunting sometimes when I look at how much I want to save and how long it will take to get there, but Rome wasn't built in a day, to be certain.
No. 5: Sweet coworkers. When I say I had some terrible nights this week, I am not exaggerating in the least. I don't know what it was about work this week, but my patients all required a lot of emotional support and "de-escalation" from high-anxiety states. In doing so, I took on a lot of their anxiety, and, as a result, feel drained tonight. I'm thankful for some days off and for all of my coworkers who assisted me this week. I'm lucky to work in a place where teamwork is understood and practiced as freely as breathing is.
No. 6: Earl Grey tea. A favorite of mine. I keep one mason jar filled with decaf bags and one filled with regular caffeinated bags in my pantry at all times; I carry bags in my purse and at work. It's always on hand. There's something about a cup of tea that takes care of you in a way no other drink can. Mid-morning, it pairs well with brunch, or mid-afternoon, it can be your "breathing moment" that you use to refresh and rejuvenate. My personal favorite time of day for Earl Grey is right before bed though. True, my bladder doesn't thank me, but something about that cup of tea at bedtime soothes me in a beautiful way.
No. 7: Hot pink ear plugs. I experienced the incredible wonder of earplugs this week; though I have used them for years during exams in school and occasionally at night to drown out noisy neighbors, this week I decided to use them so that I could try a different sleep pattern pre-night shift. I went to bed around midnight on Monday night, inserted the hot pink ear plugs, and did not awake until almost 1PM the next day. It was a beautiful night of sleep and I felt well-rested for the night ahead.
No. 8: Career goals. Though I am still not certain what my "long term" goal is for my nursing career, I know I'm learning a lot where I am right now and I'm starting to think about where I want to go with my career. I've looked into becoming Board Certified in Medical-Surgical nursing, which I cannot do yet as I do not meet the eligibility criteria, but it's certainly on my radar. For now, I'm excited to pursue some interesting continuing education opportunities and explore things that really interest me within the nursing profession.
No. 9: Soy candles. Just bought my first one this week with a TJ Maxx gift card from Christmas and truly, it is lovely. It's also considered to be a "green" candle, so it is supposedly better than breathing in typical petroleum-products found in normal candles. (Not that that's going to stop me from buying regular candles. I'm not too discriminatory when it comes to candles).
No. 10: Psalms. One psalm in particular has been rest for my soul this week as I have struggled through difficult emotions and challenging shifts at work. Psalm 61:2 is the one I'm referring to, of course. It's one I quote on the regular and have committed to memory now.
Grace & peace,
Cristina.
No. 1: Finishing a book. What a sense of accomplishment it brings one to be able to finish a book, particularly one that has been on your nightstand for almost two months. I finally finished one of my books for book club and am now making progress through another (this one was also supposed to be completed in December and I failed miserably at that. I'm liking it as a February read though).
No. 2: A day for love. It's true, I love Valentine's Day. Not in the sappy, romantic way, but just in terms of celebrating love. It's an entire day to celebrate love. I know some people say you should celebrate love year round, which is true, but we often don't. We get caught up in our busy lives and take our loved ones for granted. A day for love is just what this world needs every once in a while. I wish we could have more of them. I thought I'd be spending my Valentine's Day mostly alone, so I cooked some coconut shrimp, baked sweet potato waffle fries, and steamed broccoli, poured a glass of red wine, and watched How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days and the beginning of Gone with the Wind. It was a pleasant treat to be able to Skype with Scott and celebrate our 7th Valentine's Day together over funny YouTube videos and talk of seeing one another in a few weeks.
No. 3: Catching up with good friends. In the past week, I've had a pretty good opportunity to catch up with friends either in person over coffee, on the phone, or through letters. I often overbook myself with catch-up dates with friends, but relationships are so important to me and I am always sad to lose one to negligence. I'm careful to maintain my friendships and seek out friends who I don't see all too often.
No. 4: Progress with short-term savings goals. And long-term ones. This year has been a year of increased financial responsibility for me. I'm blessed to have graduated debt-free from Carolina and have been able to start saving for goals that I have in the future. Retirement, "emergencies," car maintenance, maybe a wedding someday... all things that I've been able to start planning for and saving for this year. It's a bit daunting sometimes when I look at how much I want to save and how long it will take to get there, but Rome wasn't built in a day, to be certain.
No. 5: Sweet coworkers. When I say I had some terrible nights this week, I am not exaggerating in the least. I don't know what it was about work this week, but my patients all required a lot of emotional support and "de-escalation" from high-anxiety states. In doing so, I took on a lot of their anxiety, and, as a result, feel drained tonight. I'm thankful for some days off and for all of my coworkers who assisted me this week. I'm lucky to work in a place where teamwork is understood and practiced as freely as breathing is.
No. 6: Earl Grey tea. A favorite of mine. I keep one mason jar filled with decaf bags and one filled with regular caffeinated bags in my pantry at all times; I carry bags in my purse and at work. It's always on hand. There's something about a cup of tea that takes care of you in a way no other drink can. Mid-morning, it pairs well with brunch, or mid-afternoon, it can be your "breathing moment" that you use to refresh and rejuvenate. My personal favorite time of day for Earl Grey is right before bed though. True, my bladder doesn't thank me, but something about that cup of tea at bedtime soothes me in a beautiful way.
No. 7: Hot pink ear plugs. I experienced the incredible wonder of earplugs this week; though I have used them for years during exams in school and occasionally at night to drown out noisy neighbors, this week I decided to use them so that I could try a different sleep pattern pre-night shift. I went to bed around midnight on Monday night, inserted the hot pink ear plugs, and did not awake until almost 1PM the next day. It was a beautiful night of sleep and I felt well-rested for the night ahead.
No. 8: Career goals. Though I am still not certain what my "long term" goal is for my nursing career, I know I'm learning a lot where I am right now and I'm starting to think about where I want to go with my career. I've looked into becoming Board Certified in Medical-Surgical nursing, which I cannot do yet as I do not meet the eligibility criteria, but it's certainly on my radar. For now, I'm excited to pursue some interesting continuing education opportunities and explore things that really interest me within the nursing profession.
No. 9: Soy candles. Just bought my first one this week with a TJ Maxx gift card from Christmas and truly, it is lovely. It's also considered to be a "green" candle, so it is supposedly better than breathing in typical petroleum-products found in normal candles. (Not that that's going to stop me from buying regular candles. I'm not too discriminatory when it comes to candles).
No. 10: Psalms. One psalm in particular has been rest for my soul this week as I have struggled through difficult emotions and challenging shifts at work. Psalm 61:2 is the one I'm referring to, of course. It's one I quote on the regular and have committed to memory now.
"From the end of the earth I will cry to you, when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. "Friends, the weekend is upon us. If you are lucky to have a job that does not require you to work weekends, soak it in and enjoy your weekend. Rest your body and your soul, spend time with Jesus, and appreciate quiet moments. For those who have to work, be excited for your "weekend" as it appears-- is it Tuesday? Thursday? Friday? Are you blessed to have off on a Manic Monday? Or if you find no break at all and your time constantly filled, as I fear is true for my poor mother, find quiet moments in your day to decompress, drink a cup of tea, and release some stress. Read a few pages in your book before bed, or walk around the block to catch some fresh air. In the midst of chaos and immense stress this week, I'm looking for moments of small joys that are quiet and restful.
Grace & peace,
Cristina.
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