the small perfect moments

It's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of life, but lately I've been trying to appreciate the small perfect moments that dot my everyday like flowers in a field. Things like smiling at Erik over coffees, basking in the happiness at my friend's bridal shower, and laughing with girlfriends at something silly. Whether it's for a millisecond or a prolonged stretch, time seems to stand still—and I'm struck by how ridiculously fortunate I am. It's up to me to stop and savor it, rather than rush on to the next bullet on my to-do list.

little letters

Dear Pinterest quote,
Thank you for giving me some perspective.

Dear U.S. healthcare system,
There has got to be a better way. If you're making it so difficult for a woman with insurance (and a doctor son and health editor daughter), then it has got to be an even bigger nightmare for millions and millions of others. :(

Dear McCarren Park Pool,
I hope you open your doors this summer. I'll see you every day!

Dear little legs (and lungs),
Please don't punish me for trying to train for a half-marathon in one month.

Dear Self,
Remember to practice patience.

judgement calls

Back home from Raleigh! It was so good to see my cute mom, who gets smaller and wobblier every time I see her. We ran all her errands and went to appointments every day. In the evenings, I tried to keep up with my deadlines and managed to squeeze in one long run. It was a busy trip, and I felt a little stretched between my life and hers. At the doctor's office, for instance, the scheduler looked at me reproachfully when I told her I couldn't make it back in four weeks for my mom's follow-up—could we come back in six? "Well, that's really not good at all," she responded coolly. "I don't think [Dr. So-and-So] will go for it." I just wanted to sink into the floor. Fortunately, her nice coworker swooped in and smoothed things over as I overcompensated with reasons: "I have a really busy March! I live out of state! My mom won't let us get her a caretaker!" My lesson? I need to brush off these judgments—and refrain from making them myself. There's always a story behind every action.

life on fast-forward

Apologies for my tardy post! Life is busy, as usual, with deadlines, meet-ups, and appointments. And, to be frank, I've been kinda short on words lately. Maybe it's because I've been spending so many of them on work assignments? Today I'm off to North Carolina to hang with my mom—plus help out with a few doctor's, tax, and DMV appointments. Hoping I'll have more time to post there!

P.S. I'm by no means a copy editor, but just realized that I keep switching my serial comma stance depending on what story I'm working on. Whoops.

6 things...

...I did this week:

1. Had two dates with friends/former coworkers. Even though I often laugh about how my last gig was crazy, I feel so very fortunate to have worked with so many truly awesome people.
2. Made a batch of lechon for Erik. His kid-on-Christmas-morning smile makes my insides light up.
3. Got back into running: There's nothing like lapping the Central Park reservoir with the skyline twinkling in the background. It makes me love New York so much. This morning, I went for a long run. Let's just say I have a ways to go before the NYC Half next month (gulp).
4. Bought my ticket to El Salvador. Surf trip 2012! Whoo!
5. Used a ridiculous Shirley Temple song with Monkey-themed lyrics. Oh, it makes me laugh every single time.
6. Learned all about SEOs. Before that, I brushed up on K5 and iPad formats. Dude, I feel like a publishing dinosaur already. (Well, you already knew that, since I refuse to switch from blogspot, huh? :))

our little family

Erik is often late and stressed out with his million-and-one things to do. Monkey suffers from cat dandruff and only has one single tooth. I'm impatient and have periodic freak outs about absolutely nothing. In spite of—or maybe because of—our weird tics and annoying habits, we somehow make the happiest little family.

P.S. Erik looks concerned because he's watching a Republican debate on CNN.