Captivations is a monthly feature with links, stories, and news that captivated me. It’s also a monthly recap of what’s going on in my world.
October
This post’s title and contents are a bit…somber. But as I’m learning a lot this year, death is part of the experience of living. Death is inevitable, and we’ll keep saying goodbye to beings we love. It’s hard to recognize, but there is beauty and joy after death. Death isn’t something to be afraid of and grief isn’t something we should hide. All of it brings us closer to a deeper understanding of life.
One thing I’ve realized is that it’s important to stop and savor feelings of joy. I got the gorgeous flowers in the photo from House of Margot Blair, a floral company in Austin, and loved seeing them in the house!
Wildlife Photos
I always like these! Enjoy this year’s best wildlife photos.
Best Austin Breweries
If you want to get to know Austin’s breweries, Austin Chronicle updated their annual ranking. I also have an Austin brewery guide, though many edits are coming!
Marigolds
These flowers are part of celebrations in India, Mexico, and Central America, from Diwali to Day of the Day. Take a look at these photos from National Geographic. It’s also used as a natural dye, like for this nonprofit in Austin.
Life Lessons
I went to a funeral this month. I haven’t been to a funeral since I was in elementary school, so I was a bit removed from the experience (ceremony with casket, prayers, burial). If you needed reminding, funerals are sad. It’s a lot sadder when it’s an unexpected, tragic death. Someone’s words at the funeral keep coming back to me: “well, the easy part’s over.” I wrote somewhat positive things about the celebration of life gathering after Will’s grandmother passed earlier this year (read it here), but this time around, I have life reminders that I often forget:
- Life moves quickly. Savor the moments and people.
- Life is short. Live it to the fullest of your ability.
- Life is meant to be shared. Be kind and compassionate to all.
Momo the Dog
I followed Momo, an Internet dog, for a long time. That means his owner posted a lot about him and even wrote children’s books about Momo, so he became famous. The downside of loving Internet dogs from afar is mourning when they pass. Momo’s owner Andrew Knapp has been sharing a thoughtful newsletter, and now it’s a year after Momo died. Part 4 and Part 5 really moved me and I highly recommend reading them. These reflections not only honor Momo’s life but also encourages us to ponder grief and joy. I pulled out two of my favorite quotes from Part 5:
“There’s a period after loss when our spirit becomes immovable and normalcy seems completely out of reach. Naturally, as time passes and our heart begins to mend, so does our grief subside. The grief never leaves us entirely, we just learn to live with it in a new way.“
“Our lives go on, despite our reluctance to move. That love that has no place to go could find a home in the many pursuits we embark on in our mourning. We might create art, write, walk, learn, talk, cry, or love again. Our love becomes the energy that allows these experiences. That energy continues in our story, in one form or another.“
Simplifying Death
Since I’m on a roll talking about death, I also listened to this great podcast episode from The Minimalists with hospice physician Zach Bush. It’s a beautiful episode!
100 Dreams
I know I’ve talked about this before, but this exercise of writing down 100 dreams is one I found again. Have you ever written down 100 things, big and small, you want to do in your life? Take a look at this post to get some ideas.
Good Things
Let’s put some good things into the world! Here are some quick things you can do:
- Make a list of things that made you happy this week.
- Write a 5-star review for a business you love.
- Send a text to a friend you miss.
5 Things I Love Lately:
- Texas Craft Brewers Festival – another year of good beer!
- Taylor Swift’s Midnights
- Texas Football
- From Scratch – a limited series on Netflix that will make you cry (love story but also cancer)
- House of Dragon Finale episode – I huffed my way through the season (not totally a fan) but the last episode made up for it all!
What have you been captivated by recently?
You might also like
