Adapting and leaning into the chaos.
Living from a suitcase with three jobs, spilt lattes and split bills.
Watching people scramble for blame and opportunities to talk about themselves.
Writing notes to figure out love and googling why it’s called a breakup, not a breakdown.
Doing dishes at parties when it feels more productive than conversations.
Wondering why it’s surprising to hear someone say something good about themselves.
Crossing to the sunny side and catching eyes and smiles with strangers.
Noticing others minding everyone’s business but their own.
Travelling on public transport because I don’t have a car and don’t want one; some day I’ll get round to getting my license.
Remembering how my mama told me to sit up straight, return things as you found them and treat others how you’d like to be treated.
Working out when I can work out because life is a workout.
Having high hopes but low expectations; why give a fuck when you don’t have to.
Hearing things like “everything’s in retrograde” and “I don’t remember anything last night.”
Dancing when I walk and backflipping on trams because I still love a playground.
Refusing to care about time; there’s work and appointments but the rest doesn’t matter to me.
Sensing if more people felt seen, they’d see themselves better.
Finding it strange most of us are doing things we don’t want to.
Enjoying chats like tequila shots; taking them with a grain of salt.
Accepting it’s not the way it looks, it’s the way we look at it.
Reaching out to old friends and making time for new.
Figuring most of us are worrying about things that haven’t happened yet.
Thinking we’re so busy imagining where we could be that we start to forget where we are.
Understanding critical thinking can be difficult and that’s why more people judge.
Wishing we could be free from labels, each other and ourselves.
Guessing no one has a clue what they’re doing.
Believing everyone we meet has something to teach us.
Realising we care too much about what others think and not enough about how they think.
Feeling fleetingly guilty and forever grateful for feeling optimistic.
Contemplating that the idea of it is often better.
Admiring whoever said, “don’t take criticism from those you wouldn’t go to for advice.”
Questioning how much we’re all projecting and performing.
Embracing being unsure and two things being true at once.
Appreciating life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we become more forgiving and at ease with ourselves.
Giving myself a squeeze at night; I’m all I’ve got.
Knowing everyone is flawed, we should love them anyway.