Hi, I’m Sara, and this is Tiny Revolutions, a weekly dispatch of personal writing and links about the art of becoming who you are. Reply anytime, I love to hear from you.
Greetings from Los Angeles, where the air is smokey and humid and oppressive, veering from grey to a sickly yellow orange. It looks like the set of a dystopian movie between the unsettling color of the light and the fact that people are staying inside due to the poor air quality.
I’ve been finding it difficult to get things done. Maybe you have too?
My practice this week was to find joy in the places I can find it. Reading. Check-ins with friends. Giving and getting hugs. The gentlest possible yoga classes. Cold brew, and lots of it. Constantly reminding myself that life is always changing, and that that’s a good thing.
Just simple stuff. The simpler the better. It’s enough.
***
Here a few things I found worth sharing this week.
There’s actually a word for climate change-induced despair: solastalgia. It’s defined as “the pain or sickness caused by the loss or lack of solace and the sense of isolation connected to the present state of one’s home and territory.” It may well be weighing upon you. I know it’s weighing upon me.
Something to think about.
This woman. I didn’t know who Tabitha Brown was before a friend sent this post, but I think we all need it right now. (Click here for her delightful and soothing message).
This poem I discovered in Avni Patel Thompson’s newsletter, A Wild and Precious Life.
My dog before and after her haircut.
And finally, a reminder.
Hey, it’s my birthday on Tuesday! If you have a second, reply or comment with something that brought you joy amidst this hellish week. I’ll share highlights in the next issue.
😘
Sara
p.s. Thank you for reading, as ever. Share this with a friend who needs it!
Happy Early Birthday Sara! Fran's haircut looks great! Something that brought me joy this week - I played the piano yesterday for the first time in a looooonnng time. It felt GREAT! Miss you! xoxo
What I finally realized this week... stop waiting to get back to normal. This is the new norm. What is normal is what is now. Normal will evolve from where we are today, but that’s tomorrow. There is no going back. There is only now.