Windows Open, Spirits Lifted
A Joyful 2026 - Week 3
Hello again! Thankfully, this week went better than the previous one, and I’m in a much better mental space to write this. There’s a snoozing cat to my right and a warm cup of coffee to my left, so let’s get into it.
Open Windows
Early in the week, the weather was pretty mild. I didn’t even wear a jacket on my way home from work because the sun had warmed my car while it sat in the parking lot. When I got home, I immediately flung open the sliding glass door to let some fresh air into my apartment.
In my opinion, spring is the best season. Everything smells fresh, I get to wear sweatshirts constantly, and it isn’t yet hot enough to dampen my spirits. I’m miserable in the heat. All of this is to say that any day in the middle of winter where I get to experience even a shred of that feeling, fills me with elation.
Seriously, open your windows. Even for just a few minutes. Let the stagnant air leave the room, along with some of those sad and depressing feelings you may be carrying.
Discovering Old Games
Call me a nerd if you must, but I recently remembered an accessory from an old Pokémon game called a Pokéwalker. Basically, it’s a Poké Ball that you can transfer one Pokémon into and take it on walks with, a pedometer with extra fun.
It’s been years since I last played a game on my Nintendo DS Lite, which, fun fact, I bought at a thrift store for $25, an absolute steal. I figured I’d fire her up and see if it was still fun. Much to my delight, I was completely sucked in for at least an hour when I should’ve been getting ready for bed.
There’s just something deeply comforting about returning to an activity you loved when you were young.
Painting
Speaking of things I loved to do as a youngin’, this week I quickly painted a block of cheese. There is a story behind this, but it’s not really mine to share, and that’s not the point of this weekly Substack anyway.
Painting, for me, is such a relaxing hobby. I’m not necessarily creative in the sense that I can think abstractly and pull magical images out of thin air, but I do have a knack for making my own version of things I can already see. Thankfully, this is one activity I’ve managed to keep up with fairly regularly. I always incorporate some sort of painting into my birthday party planning each year, which nicely scratches that itch.
Christmas Gifts
It may be a bit belated, but I thought I’d share a gift I received for Christmas because it makes me smile whenever I look at them. Sure, they’re out of season, but how could I possibly put them in storage for ten months of the year?
They’re the silliest little guys I’ve ever seen.
All in all, not too shabby. I’m going to borrow a sentiment from two of my favorite podcast hosts to wrap this up (No Returns, go check it out):
I hope you had a reasonable week.
Okay thank you for the shout out about our little pod (we'll be back soon I assure you.) For real, a blessing to hear you are faring better than you were the week prior, and regardless of how low, or high, your spirits are, these reflections are like, really helpful as a means of taking comfort and solace in things around us. As someone who is working on trying to practice more gratitude for the days, and take stock of the things that are like, small good things, I appreciate your continued efforts here.
obsessed with the cheese painting. as always, loved this!