Daily writing prompt
Describe one simple thing you do that brings joy to your life.
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I remember loving Little House on the Prarie as a child. It seemed idyllic, a family growing together as they navigate life on a farm. As I got older, a simple, country life was not at all what I wanted.

In my teens and 20s, living like that seemed dull compared to other things. Who would want to run around on a hill and have to walk to school when I can drive my car to the beach?

That didn’t mean I knew what I wanted, only what I didn’t want.

At different times in my life, I had no idea who I was, but I wanted a job that would define me as admirable, successful, and prosperous. Essentially, I would try to fit into a general and generic idea of what life was supposed to look like according to others.

I am so glad that life has a way of working out contrary to what we think we want.

I am now a stay-at-home wife, something I used to scoff at. Yet, I find happiness and satisfaction in making dinner for my husband, knowing that it is one way to show him that I love him.

I also bake bread, which I used to think was pointless and time-consuming. Yet, love the whole process and, of course, the smell of freshly baked bread in our home.

I also embroider, something I thought was pointless and old-fashioned. Even as I write this, I chuckle to myself. Embroidery has become something that brings me joy and quiets the stress around me.

I enjoy setting the canvas in the hoop and pulling it so taut that when I flick it with my finger, there is no give, and I know it is ready for me to start stitching. I get lost with each repetitive movement of the needle and thread, and it is incredible to me to see a pattern come to life with color and detail.

Although each embroidery project takes a while since I only work on it in my free time, I feel a surge of success when I look at the finished project. I can stop and admire the individual stitches which, together, make a beautiful creation.

Even though I am living a life I never envisioned for myself, like embroidery, each day brings me joy as I see it stitching together a life full of promise, purpose, and beauty.