Slower, Wealthier, Happier

Good morning, beautiful! Happy November! 💕

I’m sitting here thinking about something that happened last night, and I am so incredibly grateful. Now, before you imagine some perfectly peaceful Sunday evening, let me tell you that I spent almost my entire weekend in the house recovering from some kind of respiratory bug that absolutely wore me out.

I lost my voice on Thursday, barely worked four hours all week, and today my husband finally convinced me to go to urgent care because of the wheezing in my chest. Thankfully, I don’t have pneumonia, but I came home with enough medication to make me feel like we’re treating it anyway. And just when I was getting comfortable on my couch, menopause decided to stop by for a little visit. Not with a hot flash through my entire body, because apparently that’s not how my body likes to do things. No, beautiful, my HEAD gets hot! My head feels like it’s on fire, and I start sweating like I’ve just finished running a marathon. And honestly, I have to laugh because what else am I going to do?

So there I was, sitting on my couch, recovering from being sick, with my head on fire, when my husband suggested I stick my head outside our balcony door to cool off. Such a simple suggestion. But when I opened that door and felt the cool evening air against my face, something wonderful happened. I looked out at the beautiful fall leaves, the changing colors of the trees, and the evening lights, and I felt this overwhelming sense of gratitude. Not because I suddenly felt better or because everything was going the way I wanted it to go. I was grateful because I was there to experience it. Another fall evening. Another November. Another opportunity to enjoy the beauty of a season changing right outside my door.

I’ve been thinking about how differently I receive some of life’s experiences these days. Even menopause, as uncomfortable and sometimes downright ridiculous as it feels, has become a little reminder that I am growing older. And what a gift that is! I get to grow older. I get to experience changes in my body, changes in the seasons, and changes in the woman I am becoming. I know that not every part of getting older will be comfortable, and I certainly don’t have to enjoy every symptom that comes along with it. But I can still be grateful for the life that allows me to experience these things. I can laugh, I can sweat, I can stick my head outside the balcony door, and I can appreciate the fact that I’m still here.

Something else occurred to me in that moment. Life is going to give us all kinds of experiences, some we welcome and others we would gladly send right back. And while we don’t always get to choose what happens to us, there are moments when we get to choose how we receive what is happening. This weekend wasn’t what I planned. I would have loved to have been feeling wonderful, enjoying my normal routines, and getting things done. Instead, I spent most of my time resting, coughing, sleeping, and trying to get well. But tonight reminded me that there was still something beautiful available to me, even in the middle of all of that. I didn’t have to wait until everything was better to appreciate something good.

And maybe that’s something worth considering as we welcome this new month. How often do we miss the beautiful things happening around us because something else isn’t going the way we hoped? How often do we postpone gratitude until we’re feeling better, doing better, or experiencing the version of life we had planned? I wonder what we might notice if we allowed ourselves to appreciate what is good without requiring everything else to be good at the same time. Maybe it’s the changing leaves, a cool breeze, a quiet evening, or someone who loves us enough to suggest we stick our hot head outside the door. Sometimes the smallest moments offer us something we didn’t even know we needed.

So tonight, as I sit here still sweating, still recovering, and still very much experiencing my own unique version of menopause, I am happy. I am grateful. I am thankful for another November, for the changing colors of fall, for the cool air against my face, and for the opportunity to experience another season of this life I’m learning to love so deeply. I don’t know what this month will bring, but I know how I want to welcome it. With an open heart, a little laughter, and a willingness to notice the beauty that is already here. Happy November, beautiful. I hope this month gives you plenty of moments that remind you how wonderful it is to be here to experience them.

Love always, ✨
Your most magical self,
Treshelle