Sunday Journal Prompt

“Every person is defined by the communities she belongs to.”

 

– Orson Scott Card, Speaker for the Dead
  

Throughout my life, I’ve visited my father’s family’s homeland of Manteno in Kankakee County, Illinois for family reunions. By now most of the family farms have been sold, but the land we always return to is St. Joseph Cemetery. During a recent trip, I noticed that no one seemed to pray. And there were certainly no moments of silence, as the grave markers served as cues for animated stories. 

As my father and his cousins strolled from one marker to the next, they recounted tales of their departed siblings, aunts, uncles, parents and grandparents. They filled in each other’s memory gaps about “the time,” such as the time one uncle bought a farm at noon only to discover its crops and buildings wiped out by a tornado at 2 p.m. The family plot is a place where my father feels a great connection to many he has lost, as well as a sense of community with those who live to tell the tales.

 

In what unexpected place do you tap into a sense of community?

 

 

 

Sunday Journal Prompt

“A moment is not complete until you realize it is fleeting.”

 – Stuti Dhyani, A Grain of Sand

 

With one child in college and the other going into his senior year of high school, my husband and I are aware that our time with our children under our roof is fleeting. Last night the boys’ friends spent the night after a fun evening together, and we treasured having a house full of laughter and life.

This morning we made the teens breakfast: hot chocolate and Eggs a’la Patton (soft-boiled eggs, bacon and toast). Robert made toast shaped like a bear—as if the boys were still toddlers. It’s a gesture that makes them smile, a way to make the most of the remainder of their childhood.

What is fleeting in your life? How can you make the most of the time you have?

 

 

 

Sunday Journal Prompt

“Minimalism is the constant art of editing your life.”

- Danny Dover, The Minimalist Mindset

An accomplishment that will never show up on my resume is how my family has learned to pack lightly. We spent the month of June traveling abroad—all with carry-on luggage. We rolled our clothes into eBags and, once a week, used coin-operated laundromats. It started as a way to avoid bag-check fees and save time, but has developed our ability to operate as a team. One backpack held Luna bars and other snacks in one pocket, our clear plastic toiletry kits in another. One held our passports, novels that we exchanged with each other and a folder with printouts of our itinerary, boarding passes, train tickets and museum tickets. A third carried our electronic devices, chargers and adapters. The fourth, a smaller daypack, held our water bottle, sunscreen, hats, glasses, a protein shake mixer cup and my journal.
 
Minimizing our baggage helped us stay mobile, spend less time packing between cities and avoid stress our fellow travelers had. When we experienced delays, flight cancelations, gate changes and an unexpected overnight stay in Philadelphia during what became a 36-hour return trip, we had everything we needed. Our packing method is growing into a way of life for us. At home, we roll our clothes to fit into drawers and try to pare down our belongings. What do we really need? What can we donate? How can we better organize our home? What commitments do we value? What can we skip? How do we want to fill our time? What else in our lives can we streamline?

 

How can you streamline your life to carry less baggage?

 

 

 

Sunday Journal Prompt

“Carpe diem.”

 

– Horace 

 

 

This morning my husband awoke at 4 a.m.—a rarity while traveling. “Do you want to see the sunrise?” he asked. For a split second, I considered staying in the cozy bed, but then I thought about the opportunity I might miss. “I’m in,” I responded. Ten minutes later, we were walking on Prague’s hauntingly beautiful Charles Bridge. Pink clouds illuminated by the yellow-orange sun served as the backdrop for structures built centuries before Columbus sailed. Usually packed with tourists, the bridge was nearly empty, giving us the feeling that we had our own private viewing.

 

When have you “seized the day” by saying yes to a rewarding opportunity?

 

Sunday Journal Prompt

“Let go of who you think you’re supposed to be and be who you are.”

 

– Brene Brown

 

While on a hike with my family, I joined fellow park visitors in snapping photos of waterfalls, mountain vistas and lagoons. However, people on the path passed me by when I stopped to admire tree roots—tendrils upon tendrils of exposed tree roots. I couldn’t get enough of them.

Pausing, admiring and photographing tree roots, for me, is a way to honor often-unseen complexity and beauty. I’m most interested in people’s depth that few get to see. Those who share their hopes and heartbreaks—the side of themselves they usually keep buried—are the people I’m most drawn to.
 

What side of yourself do you rarely reveal? To whom might you showcase your depth?

 

 

 

Sunday Journal Prompt

“This room would offer a refuge for peaceful meditation in the midst of a flowering aquarium.”

 

– Claude Monet of the vestibule he designed to house Water Lilies

After the first World War, Claude Monet donated Water Lilies to France, offering Parisians a haven of peace. When he first considered the project in 1909, he wrote, “Nerves strained by work would relax in its presence, following the restful example of its stagnant waters, and for he who would live in it, this room would offer refuge for peaceful meditation in the midst of a flowering aquarium.”

Enthused to see the paintings and experience the way they seamlessly merge water, air, sky and earth, I hadn’t expected to feel awestruck by the room itself—the way the artist designed the well-lit oval-shaped room to create a space between the hustle of the city and his works. I felt as if I were immersed in art in a new way, and I noticed myself breathing more deeply. After taking it all in, I enjoyed watching the expressions of wonder in visitor after visitor as each entered the room at Musee de l’Orangerie. 

What room or space offers you a sense of peace? What do you notice about yourself there?

Sunday Journal Prompt

“Every child is an artist; the problem is staying an artist when you grow up.”

 – Pablo Picasso

After years of taking her kids to art classes, my friend Debbie began taking ceramics classes herself. Recently she gifted me a coffee mug she made, and I’ve been drinking from it while sitting on my deck in the mornings as I watch the sun rise. Its warmth and sturdiness have become a reminder of our treasured friendship.

Still, many adults don’t think of themselves as artistic, but creativity comes in so many forms: creating a yoga class sequence, experimenting with a Kung Pao chicken recipe, rearranging furniture for a retirement party, making spreadsheet columns that provide new insight on a work project, inventing games for children, reorganizing kitchen cabinets, planning a trip on a budget.

How do you—or would you like to—incorporate artistry and creativity in your life?