It’s a chilly Saturday morning and I woke up thinking about making a fire and then making . . . something. I decided to meet my desire for warmth and flames by lighting candles. My desire to make is, as yet, unmet, but I’m hoping making this post will uncork whatever is in my way. A friend’s Christmas letter is sitting front-and-center on my desk, bent to expose the part where she encourages me to write more in 2022, asking specifically if I’d share what I’m reading / hearing / watching that’s feeding my mind? My heart? My soul?

Every time I re-read that section of her letter it’s like having someone ask, “When is the last time you ate a piece of fruit or had a glass of water?” Care and feeding of the mind, heart, and soul don’t have to be complicated, but they do need to be intentional. And while I’ve definitely been feeding them, it usually takes a bout of writing – conscious reflection on what I’ve consumed – in order for me to fully digest things. (My friend knows me well.)

READING: Actual words on pages are still rare for me, but I’ve started reading Barbara Brown Taylor’s Learning to Walk in the Dark. I deeply appreciate how she unpacks our history of vilifying darkness and gently encourages the reader to look for what can be felt (and learn to be trusted), if not seen, when light is absent. It’s the perfect read in the bleak mid-winter, when spring feels far away and it’s tempting to feel like all growth is frozen; a reminder that some of the most profound development happens in the dark.

HEARING: I’m on the world’s longest waiting list at my library for Brene Brown’s new book, Atlas of the Heart. Not sure if I’ll read it or listen to it (I’m in the queue for all the versions – audio, electronic, and print – willing to take whichever is available first). In the meantime, there are plenty of podcasts where Brene is interviewed and shares highlights from her book. I’m listening to those and chewing on sound bites, like the quote from German philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, “The limits of my language means the limits of my world.” As someone who craves more and deeper conversation about thoughts and feelings, I’m eager to learn about emotional literacy and the importance of having a vocabulary as expansive as our experiences.

WATCHING: Two of the best things I’ve watched lately are Ted Lasso and Schmigadoon, both on AppleTV (a week-long free trial will let you watch at least one, if not both, depending how much time you have to binge-watch something).

Ted Lasso is enjoyable for lots of reasons, but I’m still processing the layers of “father issues” so many of the characters wrestle with (all in different ways) – a reminder how important parental relationships are and how impossible it is to escape them. Time, distance, distractions – you’ll still have to deal with your issues, eventually. My hope is that my boys will have both the personal and professional support these characters do when they’re ready (or forced) to face theirs. It makes a real difference.

Schmigadoon is deceptively light, but there’s so much more to it than you’ll suspect when you start watching. First, I caught myself clapping at the end of each number! Yes, alone in my living room, I was clapping like I was in the audience of a theatre, as if the actors could hear me. I was so impressed with the creative homage to 1940s and 50s American musicals, using a score that was both familiar and fresh, and lyrics that were clever and crafted a story so much bigger than a parody. And the ending/message is the perfect balance of musical theatre (the character can’t help but sing what he discovers about himself!) and realism (love takes work and is a choice you make, every day).

All in all, I feel pretty well fed, but there’s always room for more, so please comment and share what you’re reading, hearing, or watching!