It’s been a while now, but do you remember the blog posts about glimmers? Glimmers are the positive counterparts to triggers. They’re everything that calms our nervous system when it seems to think there’s danger. They’re things we can do, see, feel, smell, or experience in any way that helps us find peace again. In both the initial blog post and the two updates (1 and 2), I gave many examples of what “glimmers” meant to me at the time. Because the last few weeks have been pretty rocky for me—as the previous blog posts also reflected—it was very important and necessary for me to stay focused on my glimmers. And you know what? It actually helped! Together with my prayers and sharing with others, it really helped me keep my head above water and even relax every now and then. Ready? Here we go!
1. Little Butternut
Last week, I became the godmother of a beautiful, sweet little girl named Butternut! Okay, okay, her real name isn’t actually Butternut. But that’s what I called her when she was still in my best friend’s belly, and at one point, she was the size of a butternut squash. Later on, when she reached the size of a celery stalk or a melon, it just didn't sound nearly as cute. ("Little Celery!" Can you imagine? Yeah, me neither!) So, to me, she stayed Little Butternut. Today, she is alive and breathing, super cute, absolutely precious, and I am so proud to call myself her godmother!
By the way, I met Butternut’s mom at my last job. While working there, a student actually gave me a cutting of a Chinese money plant (Pilea). It was my very first money plant cutting, and that plant has since grown into a massive mama plant. That mama plant has had many, many, maaaany babies, which have now all become proud mamas of their own little ones. A few months ago, I clipped one of those babies and put it in water. Last week, right after Butternut was born, I repotted that cutting. Right now, it’s still a tiny plant—just like Butternut herself—but in a few years, it will be just as big and strong. Once my goddaughter is old enough, this plant will be hers. It will be her very own birth plant to care for. Until then, Godmama will take care of it. To me, it feels like the perfect full-circle moment: a baby from that plant goes right back to where it all started, not at my friend's old workplace, but to her own child. Kids united!
Since I have a ton of Chinese money plants and a memory like a sieve, I crocheted a tiny heart last week to hang on her plant (the fact that I actually pulled that off was a little glimmer in itself!). That way, even five years from now, I’ll still know this is Butternut’s plant. And until then, I will look after it with all the love in the world!
2. Cycling through the cornfields
The bike is my main mode of transportation, which naturally means I bike a lot and know all the back roads well. As much as possible, I try to avoid the major highways and soak up as much nature as I can. The more grass, trees, and birds, the better. I find that much more calming than traffic lights, buses, and trucks.
A few days ago, I cycled from my sister’s house to the thrift store (yay, the thrift shop! So much love for the thrift shop!) and decided to take the route past the local farmer with his cows and cornfields. When I really think about it, it’s actually a miracle that there’s still so much greenery on the outskirts of the city! For me, biking through it was a real glimmer: the tension in my body melted away with every passing second!
3. Embroidery Table
Do you remember that in my previous blog post I wrote that the tote bag I’d spent three months embroidering seemed to be such poor quality that I “had” to frame it? I was so sad to have lost my tote bag that I went to a craft store to buy a sturdy, plain black tote bag! This morning, I took my time searching Pinterest for the perfect design. It took me over an hour to trace the pattern and choose the right colors, but I really, really enjoyed it! When I suddenly looked at my table—which looked more like a creative battlefield than anything else—I realized what an amazing glimmer this was for me. So this definitely belongs on the list!
4. Lemon Vase
Action (my favorite dollar store!) sometimes sells really good stuff (but sometimes not—just think of that tote bag!). A while back, I bought a vase there to paint myself. It cost four euros, and I had hours of fun with it. I find painting really soothing, and even I can manage something like painting a vase. That’s actually what I liked best about it: no pressure to perform, nothing that could go wrong—just a little bit of crafting.
Once the vase was finished, I decided to repurpose it as a flowerpot and plant some spider plants in it. And ta-da! Today, I can happily look at it and think back on those fun, relaxing painting sessions out on my balcony.
5. Making Bracelets
It really looks like I own stock in Action, but I swear I don’t (too bad, because I’d make myself filthy rich!). This is another super-cheap kit (3.99!) from Action, but one that provides hours and hours of creative fun. For me, it feels a bit like going back to being a kid, to being girly-girly, to playing and exploring creatively—and in doing so, discovering a little bit of myself. I find it soothing and fun to do, and I notice that it does me good. I seriously doubt my bracelets will ever be catwalk- or mannequin-worthy, but of course, that’s not the point at all. I enjoy wearing them myself, and every time I look at my wrist, I see a little bit of self-care, healing, and kindness toward myself. So for me, it’s a double glimmer—and that definitely deserves a double photo!
(By the way, that chunky bracelet tied with string was made by my little niece, and the one with the big colored beads was also a gift from her. Of course, those are the most beautiful bracelets of them all!)
There you go—that's it for this time. Of course, there are many more, but sometimes you just have to make choices in life!
See you next time!
