A highly specific and personal inventory (though not a complete one) of some of the things I think are worth the trouble:
Emotional sobriety AKA emotional regulation AKA doing the work
Fried vegetables, moments after having left the pan, on a hot summer day
Denim
Being an ally, asking for accountability when it doesn’t serve only you
Understanding your desires
Participating in rituals with others
Immersing your body in water
Waiting before you speak
Finding and maintaining the softest vintage cotton t-shirts
Translating an idea into prose
Tahdig, polenta, and other such grain traditions
Prioritizing rest and play, which are not the same thing
Experiencing inconvenience
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What do you consider worth the trouble? If you like, share in the comments or you can also reply directly to this email. Whatever it is, I hope you’re making time for that which is worthy of yours.
xoxo,
Sara
Freshly grated parmesan (the real kind, baby)
Going to the market that sucks just to get the exact Epsom salts I like for my nightly bath
Getting my nails painted for professional and creative events so that I can feel glamorous
Writing and rewriting to get closer to the paragraph floating in my mind
Totally worth it:
The good shea butter
Scrubbing the bathrooms
Jeans that fit
Growing tomatoes and zucchini (I had very little spoons left for gardening this year, and I’m regretting it)