April always seems to sneak up on me. In my head, I like to think of it as a quiet sort of month. At the beach, it’s lovely. It’s a mini preview of summer, warm enough for beach days, but not burning hot like July or August. I crave after-work walks and meeting friends to drink wine on a back patio.
This April begins with Holy Week and Easter. I’ve always had a soft spot for Easter in April when the flowers are finally blooming, green seems to be everywhere, and the sun sets later. For Holy Week, I plan to slow down and soak in every emotion of the week. From the devastation of Good Friday to the joy of Easter Sunday, I want to stay present. It’s always easy to want to skip over Good Friday, but we must remain, as Jesus did. Then, on Sunday, we can rejoice fully in the gift we have been given.
My April is sure to be filled with plenty of fun- Easter, a dear friend’s wedding, throwing an auction for my school, book club, a book club baby shower, and beginning to plan a wedding. At the same time, I want to be grounded in my routine that I love so dearly- daily time in the sunshine, excercise for strength, church, and reading. It’s easy to forsake these things when the calendar gets busy, but my routine steadies me.
Sam and I are beginning to plan our wedding, and thankfully, I am a type-A personality, so the challenge excites me! However, the list of things to do seems perilously long to me. Anyone who has planned a wedding recently, throw me some tips, please!
A very dear friend of mine named Lizzy is an artist. I truly love everything she makes!
A few months ago, she started a print post club. Linking here if you want to check it out.
For your subscription every month, you get a postcard print, a letter from the artist, and a small surprise paper good. Everyone I know who subscribes says it is their favorite part of the month. I write a lot of letters, so I love getting my postcard that I can send AND show off my friend’s art.
I was delighted that Lizzy asked me to write a poem for the April edition! I have not published much of my poetry here on Substack, but it is a big piece of my heart. Shoutout to my 11th-grade English teacher who introduced me to Mary Oliver - I’ve never looked back!
It’s so much fun to have friends who are artists. I love to see what they are working on, and it’s a gift to me to be able to discuss creating with them. I dream of one day going on a creative retreat where I can unplug, write, and spend time outside. Who wants to come with?
I am so honored to share my poem here—
Quick fun rapid fire REPORT here—
READING- The Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn
EATING- Avocado toast
PLAYING- Mahjong!
OBSESSING- I am in love with my barrel jeans from the Gap. Even short girls can wear these and look cute (speaking as a short girl)
RECOMMENDING- Getting to know the staff at your local library
TREATING- Mini Diet Cokes!!!!
“You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting –
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.”
― Mary Oliver
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