I’m so ready for the blistering heat to end, but I also can’t believe the summer went by so quickly. The reality is, I didn’t do a lot of what I planned to. It’s been a very hard year; for all of us I think. And most of the time things don’t go according to plan. But all the same, I’ve been trying to enjoy the end of this season as I anticipate my favorite time of year: fall.

My mental health has been up-and-down these past several weeks which is why I haven’t been posting in this blog as much. But I’m determined to set aside time to write daily and hold myself to that in order to get out of this negative headspace. I think all of us as humans could benefit from trying to prioritize things we enjoy rather than dwelling on negativity or anger.

I’m looking forward to decorating my home for Halloween and enjoying the cooler weather (but no pumpkin spice lattes for me – I think they’re gross). I encourage you all to do something you enjoy daily, big or small. Read a few chapters in a book, go for an evening walk, make an extravagant meal for no reason other than you want to enjoy it. Life is too short to let work consume our everyday lives so we must seek joy wherever we can find it.

– A.B.