Finding Magic in the Mundane
The little things I'm grateful for + The Chrysler Building + Thank you for being here giveaway
BREAKING NEWS FROM THE HOME DESK:
Advocate Scores Last-Minute Invite to Resolve's Night of Hope Gala
Woman Spends Nearly 100 Unpaid Hours on a Project. It Gets Cancelled.
Husband Recognizes Wife's Disappointment. Delivers Hugs, Homemade Apple Pie, and Lots of Love.
Steam Pipe Leak Discovered in Building Storage Units. Family's Belongings are Soiled.
Daughters Handmade Card is the Highlight of Grandmother's 82nd Birthday
Life has a way of being a roller coaster, doesn't it? The headlines above are a reflection of my past week. Some weeks bring triumphs, others bring disappointments, and most bring a mix of both. On the good days, gratitude flows easily. On the harder ones, it requires a different kind of strength.
Last night, as I pulled endless piles of laundry from the dryer, I found myself pausing to inhale that fresh, clean scent. It's just laundry—the most ordinary of tasks—and yet there's something quietly satisfying about a drawer full of clean underwear and an empty laundry bag. This got me thinking about how gratitude isn't always about the milestone moments. Sometimes it's found in the spaces between.
Below are five things I'm grateful for that aren't the grand gestures that typically fill our social media feeds this time of year. They're the quiet ones that remind us life's sweetness often comes wrapped in the most ordinary packaging, waiting to be noticed and cherished.
The tulips on our kitchen table my husband brought home for me.
The coffee that fills my cup with the touch of a button.
Hearing Carolina singing to herself when she thought no one was listening.
The ping of a new group chat with my cousins, planning an adventure for next year.
My daughter's delight in twirling in her new princess nightgown, cozy and happy.
What little things are you grateful for?
Words of the Week
"The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common" —Ralph Waldo Emerson
Photo of the Week
A photo I shot looking up at the Chrysler Building from Lexington Avenue. If you zoom in, you can see three of the eight eagle gargoyles that adorn the 61st-floor. They’re giant replicas of hood ornaments from the 1920s Chrysler Plymouth. Over the years, daredevils and photographers have made their way onto the (now closed) observation deck and ventured out onto the gargoyles. The image that always comes to my mind when I see the Chrysler building is Margaret Bourke-White precariously perched atop an eagle shooting a photo of the city.
A Thank You for Being Here Giveaway
Dear readers,
I'm grateful for your continued support of this newsletter, and to show my gratitude, I'm hosting special holiday giveaway.
Here's how to enter:
Give any newsletter post a "like" between now and November 30th (one entry per like).
Share the Fly Bravely newsletter or this link with friends who might enjoy the content. Two entries for a friend who subscribes through your referral. (NOTE: Just forward the email that landed in your inbox, Substack will tell me the new subscriber came from you.)
Fellow Substack writers: Add Fly Bravely as a recommended publication for five bonus entries!
🎁 Click this link to see our exciting prize collection!
Winners will be announced in our December 1st newsletter and contacted directly via email to choose their prizes.
Hi Lia, thanks for another great read…and for the gratitude reminder about the importance of the little things that are really so much bigger than we think. I always learn something from your newsletters. This time, it was the eagle gargoyle on the Chrysler building - so interesting. Today, I’m grateful to you. In a world of noise, your delightful newsletter is a sweet rhythmic beat. Happy Thanksgiving to your beautiful family.
I am grateful for wonderful reading material. 💕💕💕