“Take a deep breath.” “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” “Money does not buy happiness.” While there is no lack of off-the-shelf, feel-good epitaphs we hear countless times, sometimes it is worthwhile to take pause in one’s life and consider whether we actually apply a positive mindset in our day-to-day lives.
Back in May 2023, I wrote about investing in a dog’s mental health. Here we are, more than a year later and I thought I’d catch you up on how my dog’s own recovery journey is coming along.
First, some context for what we are dealing with. Our dog, Loki, is leash reactive to other dogs, has stranger danger, and is overall anxious with the world outside.
It is a loaded question and one that changes depending on what need or want you are referring to. For that reason, we thought to tackle this discussion as a series, looking at different categories and how our perception of “enough” may need some more thoughtful intervention.
It all started with magazines and the thrill I got with each delivery. There was a whole new world of information and potential to explore each month.
With so many Gen Zers moving into the work force and establishing long term careers, their focus starts to shift to the next symbol of adulthood – owning a home.
You know how your Apple iTunes library is not really music you own, even though you paid for it? Yet your vinyl collection somehow now has some appreciable value? Or did you ever collect baseball trading cards? And now you see that these cards exist in the digital world and are being traded at high values.
A few months ago, I realized that I needed some help. Between my husband and I working full time and trying to keep our three little girls safe, fed, and entertained, housework kept falling through the cracks. We were losing a battle to the “stuff” that was just piling up.
I purchased my first piece of real art (i.e., not an art poster from a shop in the West Village) as a housewarming and anniversary present for my husband years ago. It is a silkscreen print of firecrackers from a local artist (Clay Huffman, now deceased) who had a studio at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town, Alexandria.
I LOVE that I had the childhood that I did – playing outside for hours on end with little to no supervision, climbing on metal playground equipment, Saturday morning cartoons (Scooby Doo, Where Are You?) reading Nancy Drew books, and listening to Casey Kasem’s Top 40 countdown on the radio. I also had the benefit of growing up on a farm, so caring for the horses was among many things that I did to earn my allowance.
