1. Morning walks. It was so nice to get back to these once I was back from Oregon, but it’s a bit bittersweet because I have surgery on Tuesday and it will be a few weeks before I can get back to them again.

2. Being in Oregon with my family, then returning home to Colorado to my tiny family. It was good to be there and we got some things accomplished (got another MRI for Mom and scheduled a follow-up appointment with her neurologist, as well as getting another caretaker hired so my brother can be back home sleeping in his own bed and able to work more often, along with a haircut for Mom, getting her glasses adjusted and taking her to a dentist appointment, a birthday dinner for my brother, birthday present for Warren, and some futzing and organizing around Mom’s house). It was a lot, and it was good, and I’m SO glad to be back home.

3. Practice. It keeps my heart open, keeps me from falling apart, keeps me from giving up.

4. Rest. Since I got back to Colorado, I’ve basically been hibernating. Partly because I was exhausted and had a lot of big emotions to process, and partly because I knew I had surgery coming up and needed to be ready for that.

5. My tiny family, small house, little life. There’s nothing like being gone for a few weeks to remind me how much I love it here — not that I’d forgotten. The first morning I was back, Eric got up and he and Ringo left the bedroom to go to the kitchen for breakfast, and even though food is Ringo’s favorite thing, he turned around and wanted Eric to let him back in because he wanted to check and be sure I really was home. And remember when I posted a link to a tiny brass deer a few weeks ago, saying I was adding it to my list of things I didn’t need but still wanted? When I came into my practice room that first morning, one was sitting on my meditation shrine, a gift from Eric.

Bonus joy: good books, listening to podcasts, getting upgraded to a brand new rental car, having snow but not so much that it made travel difficult, pizza, learning how to make Eric’s homemade chicken noodle soup, being able to help, being able to maintain boundaries, getting good sleep, donuts from Depoe Baykery, visiting with family and friends, a few really nice days before the rain started, paying bills, doing laundry, cooking, a warm shower, sleeping with the window open, slowing down, cheese, peanut butter, clean sheets, ice cream, seeing Chloe’, dinner with Jon & Chelsey, canceled plans, hugs, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.