Life has a way of delivering its insights through the most random moments... a quick glance, a passing comment, or even the way someone approaches you at work. Lately, I've been reflecting on a few of these types of observations, and I can't help but notice how they overlap with larger themes about connection, perception, and grace.

Doubly Dynamic

I hear it often, and I may have said it once or twice: when we assert that we would make wonderful partners to someone, not singularly because of, but as the result of, our exes always trying to come back. On the surface, I agree that our confidence can be magnetic, our charm undeniable. But then I thought: if we are so wonderful, why weren't those relationships sustainable? It's a strange paradox. Sometimes, the qualities that attract people to us aren't the ones that keep them with us. It left me wondering about the duality of what we offer and what we need from others.

Lip Balm Stares and Water Breaks

Have you ever caught someone staring at you dead in the eyes while you're doing something mundane, like putting on lip balm or sipping water? It's oddly intimate, almost like they've intruded on a moment that feels inherently personal. It's funny and a little unnerving, but also a reminder that connection often happens in the quietest, most unexpected spaces.

Organic Conversations: Online vs. Offline

We often say that in-person conversations feel more organic, more 'real.' And I agree. There's an ease to the flow of face-to-face communication that's hard to replicate online. But I've also found that when online connections transition offline, they can be just as authentic. It's not about the medium; it's about the intention behind the interaction.

ASSumptions at the Y

Working part-time at the Y has been an exercise in observing human behavior, particularly how people's assumptions about status and class shape their interactions with me. I can see it in the way some people approach me, as though their full-time jobs or fancy gym clothes make them better somehow. What they don't realize is that this job is a choice, one that gives me a free membership while my full-time role supports my lifestyle. I'm coining the phrase and these judgments as 'clASSumptions' a reminder that we often mistake perceived status for actual worth.

Muscle Memory and the Absent Ring

I've been divorced for about four years now, but I still think about the small habits that lingered from that time. When I was married, I had a habit of twisting my ring with my thumb, often absentmindedly, while standing or sitting still. Of course, I stopped doing it when I removed the ring, but recently I caught myself mimicking the motion without realizing it. It made me wonder: have I been doing it all along, or is something now triggering that response? Muscle memory, or maybe the mind’s way of revisiting familiar comfort in silence.

Grace for NON Morning People

I'm a morning person, and I respect those who are not. And I'm learning that giving people the space to come into themselves is a gift. Their irritable behavior isn't personal; it's just part of the process. Patience, grace, and a little understanding go a long way in creating connections that matter.

Whether it's a fleeting glance, an assumption made too quickly, or the duality of human connection, these random observations remind me that life's lessons are always unfolding. All we have to do is pay attention.

I Remain