Goodbye 2015, Hello 2016

2015 was the year we got married, and it seemed to go by in a whirl of Pinterest, table plans, dress fittings, peonies, and confetti. The day was so special yet the planning was relentless! I'm looking forward to 2016 being a year that is less orchestrated because, after all, life is what happens while you're busy making plans. Some of the most memorable moments of our wedding were not planned. Did I hire the above dog, cute child, and miniature pony to ride next to the wedding car? Nope, I sure didn't, and it was pretty special.

Instead of an endless list of things I'd like to achieve, I'm going to put just three goals into writing.

Find a home 

My husband and I have been renting in pricey London since moving down after university.  It would be really lovely to paint some walls, plant some veggies, and have friends round for dinner in a place of our own. If we could squeeze in a dining table then I think I'd be one happy lady!

Finish more books

I am absolutely terrible at starting a book and not finishing it. The stack of books on by bedside table is completely unacceptable.  It's often not a reflection of how good the book is but a reflection of my fleeting attention. I 'm currently reading The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle. I will finish it.

Travel 

Seeing new places makes me feel alive. Surely that's a good enough reason?!

What are your goals for 2016? I'd love to hear.

Tiny Beautiful Things

I recently visited a friend and had a long train journey home ahead. As I picked up my bags to leave my friend handed me a book and told me ‘it was one of the best books she’d ever read’. She was right. Tiny Beautiful Things is exceptional and unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It’s essentially a series of letters and replies from an advice column, but it’s somehow so much more than that. Cheryl Strayed writes responses that are raw and weaves in emotive stories about her own life.

Often when things are difficult you might look to others for advice, and they’ll usually respond sympathetically and tell you they can’t really give you the answer. What struck me about this book is that Strayed doesn’t tell you what to do but by sharing her own battles, she helps you to feel stronger, and most importantly that you aren’t alone.

I have a habit of folding down page corners if I particularly relate to a sentiment so I can come back to them later. I could have turned down every other page in this beautiful book. Strayed covers letters from people who’re heartbroken, lost, confused, exhausted, pressured, scared, angry, trapped, and often desperate. This book doesn’t trivialise small problems or wash over the often insurmountable mess that life can present. Somehow every response leaves you feeling that ‘we can all have a better life if we make one.’

Have you read Tiny Beautiful Things? What did you think?