#EveryBrilliantThing January Roundup

Trees in winter.

When we visited NYC this past December, we saw a wonderful play at the Barrow Street Theatre called Every Brilliant Thing, starring Jonny Donahoe.

Upon entering the cozy space, each of us was given a slip of paper. (Paul was also selected to play a role in the play... but that's a separate blog post!) Mine read "alcohol." Paul's was "rollercoasters." Daniel's was "peeing in the sea and no one knows." Andrew's was "tea and biscuits." And Eric's was "the color yellow." The main character in the play started a list of brilliant things to share with his depressed mother -- and later used the list himself as he faced his own depression.

So, basically, it's a gratitude list. Nothing like a little gratitude to pull one from a funk, right?

AND THEN... a friend of mine suggested keeping a Gratitude Jar for 2015, and then, at the end of the year, pulling out all the slips and reading them. I thought, hmmm, how 'bout a virtual jar, an Every Brilliant Thing Twitter list? I decided to post one Every Brilliant Thing for each day of 2015. I also use Instagram (which feeds to my Twitter) as a way to include photographs. To keep a nice record of my list as it builds, I'll be blogging a Roundup at the end of each month.

Here's January:

Lays Chocolate covered potato chips.

Pink shoelaces.

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton.

The sky – always different, always the same.

Flip-flops.

Ruby's neverending enthusiasm for the headless rubber chicken.

My fabric stash.

Fuzzy socks on a cold morning.

Stained glass windows.

Sunday morning Jazzercise.

Small notebooks for recording big ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

Trees in winter.

Baby pictures.

Scarves.

Bento box.

Chocolate milk.

Being the only one awake in the house on a dark, quiet morning.

Self-checkout at Walmart.

Dancing with Kyle Abraham; Otis Brown; Eric (at the Carver Theatre).

Velcro poetry.

Sunshine.

“The quality of life is in proportion, always, to the capacity for delight.” -Julia Cameron

Doodling.

Free books.

Being the last one out of bed.

Little boys in overalls exploring the world.

Proof that spring will come. [pic of daffodil shoots]

Decorating with cotton.

Tiny books.

Going to the movies with my husband on a random Friday afternoon.

Gel pens.