three lessons from the last month

on being fourteen, wednesday, and mountains out of molehills

to be fourteen again

A few weeks ago, we had a sleepover with my second cousins who are in middle school / just starting high school. It’s always such a breath of fresh air and so fascinating to see what their lives are like. From watching my cousins, I was reminded of the importance of:

• Being silly

• Snuggling up to one another

• Asking why and why not

• Assuming simplicity when approaching challenges

Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash

As I heard about their summer vacations and back-to-school plans, I was also inspired to ponder:

• What extracurriculars would I do if money were no object?

• What would I be excited for, if I were headed back to school?

• What would I do with an entire summer vacation ahead of me?

It’s easy to think that as adults, we know so much and we are so wise. But it is truly humbling to see a day in the life of a fourteen year old. To be curious for the sake of curiosity, and to find joy in simple things without overthinking, and so on…

what would wednesday do?

Incidentally, we also starting watching Wednesday at the insistence of my cousins. It’s surprisingly not as creepy as I thought. I caught a line early in season 1 that was Enid saying, “What would Wednesday do?” I dug around on the internet and realized that’s already been turned into a book. The AI summary for the book is as follows:

"What Would Wednesday Do?" is a popular question, often referencing the character Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family. It's a phrase that encourages embracing one's individuality, even if it's unconventional or dark, and making choices that are true to oneself, regardless of societal expectations. It's about stepping into your "villain era" and thriving by being authentic.

So, take this as a reminder to be yourself and defy expectations. You don’t have to fit into a mold.

making mountains of molehills

Photo by Fallon Michael on Unsplash

Finally, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to properly celebrate life and milestones. It’s easy to end up in autopilot and look back on a few months or even a year and find it to be one long blur. Since graduating from college, I’ve always liked to bookend my life with special occasions, celebrations, or trips.

Sometimes, I feel like I’m a bit of a drama queen and I make mountains out of molehills (but with positive molehills, like birthdays). For example, the celebrations for my 30th birthday that I have planned span a few weekends. Is it ridiculous to celebrate a birthday for an entire month? Probably. But also, I’ve optimized my plans around the things that matter the most: quality time, good conversation, new experiences, and relaxation with my friends. It can be hard to make time for these things when life gets busy, and sometimes making mountains out of molehills is what it takes to remind us to stop and smell the flowers.