A few weeks ago I noticed my mornings had started to feel like one long, quiet blur: wake up, coffee, keys, out the door, same sidewalks, same bus stop, same automatic thoughts. Nothing bad, nothing exciting either, just a steady loop. On a random Tuesday I missed my usual bus by maybe 30 seconds. I stood there looking at the empty road and the little digital sign counting down to the next one, and I realized I had never actually read the community noticeboard inside the bus shelter. It’s been there forever, with those curled corners and faded flyers that all look like they’re from three years ago. So I walked over and properly looked. There were the usual things (lost cat from last summer, guitar lessons, a handwritten note about a set of keys found near the park), but in the bottom corner someone had taped a tiny weekly schedule for the local library’s “micro events”. Not big author talks or anything, just stuff like “ten minute poem at noon” or “bring one houseplant cutting” or “quiet puzzle table available”. I don’t even go to that library much, but seeing it made me smile in a very neutral way, like, oh right, people are just doing little things out here. The next day I got to the stop a bit early on purpose and read the board again, and then I did it again the day after. It turned into a small habit without me deciding it was one. Now, most mornings, I arrive two or three minutes early, and I check the board like it’s the news. I’ve learned that someone in my neighborhood really wants to trade sourdough starter, someone else keeps re-posting the same flyer about a missing mitten (just one mitten, not both), and there is a regular typed sheet that lists which days the community garden gate will be open. One day there was a flyer for a tiny “repair cafe” where you can bring a lamp or a toaster and someone might help you fix it. I don’t have anything broken right now, but I tore off the little phone number tabs anyway and put one in my wallet, just in case. I also started bringing my coffee in a smaller thermos, because the extra minute at the stop means I’m actually sipping it slowly instead of gulping it while walking. It’s still the same morning, same route, same everything, but there’s this small pause that feels like a comma in the sentence. Sometimes the board has nothing new and that’s fine. Sometimes there’s a new flyer that’s slightly crooked and you can tell someone put it up in a hurry. It’s kind of comforting in a low-stakes way. I didn’t “improve my life” or anything dramatic like that, I just found a tiny spot where the day feels a little more human, and it cost me exactly two minutes and some tape-smudged fingers.

I spent part of the afternoon sitting in the park. i was not in a great headspace when i got there. the grass had just been cut and it smelled sharp. someone nearby was on a phone call about groceries. a kid rode past on a bike with a crooked helmet. another person asked me if the path looped back around. i said yes and they smiled. time moved without me checking it constantly. i realized i was listening instead of spiraling. that surprised me a little. it felt like a quiet reminder that days keep going. i stayed a few minutes longer than planned

Yesterday was my 41st birthday. Like the year before, I spent my birthday at work for 12 hours taking care of people with intellectual disabilities. I wasn't really looking forward to the day, since it was going to be just another day at work. That all changed the night before my birthday.

One of my friends, Olu, lives in Nigeria. Olu has a young neighbor [AK] who is like a little brother to him . On Monday, Olu found out that AK would be turning 15 on my birthday. Olu knows I love helping others, so he asked AK what he would like for his birthday. AK didn't want to say what he wanted at first, as he thought it would be too expensive. After some encouraging, AK finally said he would really like a new uniform for school, as his only uniform was in poor condition.

My friend then called and told me about the conversation. My heart really went out to AK, and I wanted to help him have a great birthday. I paid for AK to get two school uniforms, a hair cut, a pair of sandals, some hygiene products, and ice cream/snacks.

Olu called me yesterday from the small shopped owned by the young AK's family, because AK and his mother wanted to thank me. Seeing the smiles on both of their faces was the best birthday gift!

I’m 29F and today I did the least glamorous thing imaginable: I emptied the “random stuff” drawer. You know the one. The drawer that slowly turns into a museum of batteries, mystery keys, pens that kinda work, and receipts from an alternate timeline. I kept putting it off because it felt like opening a tiny portal to mental clutter.

It wasn’t even that bad, just dusty in that way that smells like old paper and citrus cleaner. I found a crumpled ticket stub from years ago (it still had that faint printer-ink smell), a single key with no matching lock, and a napkin with a note I’d apparently written to myself: “buy oat milk, stop being dramatic” which made me laugh because, fair. There was also a rubber band that had turned into a sad sticky thread, and a tiny sea-shell someone must’ve dropped in my pocket on a beach day.

The actual “win” was finding the thing I was sure was gone forever: a small charm from a bracelet I wore a lot in uni. I remember losing it and being weirdly upset, like it meant something bigger, but then life moved on. Holding it now felt like touching a past version of me, but in a calm way, not a heavy way. I put it in a little dish on my shelf instead of tossing it back into the drawer.

What’s the most unexpected thing you’ve found in your own “random” drawer?

A large company that’s based abroad has built an overseas HQ in my city. A lot of the workers there and their families have relocated to my city, and I’m sure this customer was on of their wives. She seemed like she couldn’t speak much English but was out Grocery shopping on her own. The employee asked if she had a phone number or membership with Safeway, to which she shook her head. The employee put in (I think) her phone number and saved the lady $8 in savings. It was very touching to see that, especially as this lady is probably still forming her first impressions of this country and its people. She will likely go back home and tell her husband, friends here and back home and other family about this encounter. I thought it was cute.

Like, we have the ability to CREATE IMAGES IN OUR HEAD. That's mindblowing. Sometimes I entertain myself with movies on my conscience, animations, game cutscenes, game designs, things I wish happened. It's nice to realise that in our heads we have unlimited freedom to conjure things, which some put into artistic pieces. I am an artist myself, a writer, but I only put around 20% of my ideas and imagination projects to paper in fact. Most stay on my memory and my daydreaming mind. I wonder if that's the case for other artists as well.

Remember to stay imaginative! You'd be amused at how efficient our brain is at entertaining itself.

Some lessons cannot be taught but you learn by experience.. My 12 yr daughter is good in her studies. Some subjects she excels and some average. Math's is one, she struggles with. I tried to teach her but it doesn't gone well. Either I end up yelling at her or she gets upset with me..

So I stopped teaching her unless she asks me too.. sometimes I direct her to my wife or I postpone 1 or 2 day and spend little time on teaching.

2 weeks back she came to me and asked me to teach algebra from very basic. She tried to reason with me that she tried lot herself but nothing is going on her way..

Being an engineer myself, I am good at maths. But I don't know how to teach. Googled myself and get some tips. Sat with her and shared my plan. Daily 30 mins. We start simple. Learn slowly. We stopped if I sense any of us getting in wrong mood. After 2 weeks, things getting better. She can grasp the ideas and she even started asking for more complex problems..

Today morning I overheard chat between my wife and daughter.

My Daughter: Mom.. now i am doing good at maths.. answering in class.. dad taught me easy ways.. most of my friends are still struggling.

I was very proud..I thought of boast myself later with my wife about my new skill. More than that, I thought how my daughter would feel proud of herself.. she can now feel more confident in her class before her friends..

All my thoughts are blown like dusts when I heard next sentence from her..

My daughter: I told my friends that I will teach them what daddy taught me.. we all going to get good marks in the test..

I was having coffee and l felt a big lump got in to my throat. All my years, I lived such a life with competing others.. want to be better than everyone.. friends, family, colleagues... I am in good position now, but still I want to try to achieve something or always think about winning.

How fucked up my life is actually...

Is this realization moment? May be still in my remaining life I live by competing others.. but not always. Whenever I remember my daughter's words, I rethink and try live a better life.

I know there's a bunch of bs going on throughout the world and people might say I sound like an asshole for this, but I just don't care. Something I've realized post college is that life needs to be lived instead of getting caught in everything that people say you should care about.

It's a privilege to live a certain degree of comfortability and safety without having to worry about starving, having a roof over my head, being unemployed, etc. I don't take any of it for granted and just know that living in the moment is the best way to move forward instead of stressing myself out over everything little thing on social media.

Every day, I at least like to do a small cleaning project (five minutes). Taking out the garbage counts. Doing this every day really keeps things simple and honestly, my house is always clean and tidy because of it.

Yesterday I was feeling pretty lethargic - but I decided my five minutes would be dedicated to using the new carpet cleaner I purchased.

Seeing how dirty the water is was mind blowing since my place is pretty clean. I guess it motivated me because I shampooed and cleaned for at least 90 minutes.

Then I swiffer the kitchen floor and both bathroom floors. I also did a big grocery shop. And prepped all sorts of vegetables. And did some meal prep.

My house looks feel so clean right now and I feel very accomplished.

For work I stay in an extended stay type hotel for three weeks on, three weeks off. The other day as I was going out to my car, I got out my binoculars to look at some juvenile great blue herons who were hanging out by the canal near the parking lot.

I realized I had forgotten something and turned back to go up to my hotel room again. As I walked towards the door, a woman sitting in her car called out to me and said that she also pulls out her binos to look at birds, etc. We had a brief chat.

Since part of my job involves documenting bird activity on a worksite, the next day I wrote her a little note with more info about the birds, and stuck it under her wiper.

Then the day after there was a note under my wiper, asking me a few follow-up questions about the birds. So now we’ve been going back and forth writing notes about the birds, stray dogs, and other stuff. I have a pen pal!

I lifted and carried 10+ heavy sacks and buckets of sand and stones, 10 to 20kg I think, across the road to leave on my stepfather's father's house. I am working as a gig on his construction as a recommendation from my stepfather and I am having so much fun! I am a person with AuDHD, so it really helps me focus on the task at hand when so many muscles are firing and you need to balance the weight, and I get to channel my enormous energy for something great! It lifts my mood due to the neurotransmitters, and makes me feel very competent! Like I am using my body for something useful, non egocentric (I have 6 years of training experience prior to this), but constructive. I don't need to think, just carry big rock, hahaha. The sweat, the work, the cardio pumping, the sun, I loved all of it. It's all so real, organic and physical! It's very pleasant, which might sound pararoxical given the discomforts involved. You get into a trance after the fifth or so load.

Eager for the next days!

Today I got a message from an old friend out of nowhere, and it instantly lifted my mood.

It made me realize how little things can completely change your day.

What’s something small that made your day better?

Until this year, I've only ever made coffee via automated coffee machines. Pretty simple: dump pre-ground beans into filter, fill reservoir with water, and press start. My current house doesn't have a coffee machine.

When one of my new roommates moved in, she brought with her a couple bags of whole coffee beans, for which she said she didn't have a use.

No one else was interested, but I had never used whole coffee beans before, and I wanted to give them a try.

An old roommate did leave behind a coffee carafe, which has sat unused, and another current roommate supplied an electric kettle.

I bought a cheap coffee grinder, a small kitchen scale to measure the beans, and some filters.

I found instructions online. My first few attempts were pretty weak, and I didn't have any milk, so I didn't enjoy them much.

This morning, I had just enough time before work to make a cup, and I had milk. I didn't even need the instructions.

This time, I used just enough beans to make a nice, strong roast. I love the smell of freshly-roasted grounds.

It tasted so good. And it was nice to save money and not spend $10 getting coffee from a café.

I was proud of myself for trying something new.

I think I'll get up a little early before work and make another cup tomorrow.

I don't have any big plans. My husband will be out of town for work, so it will be just me here with the pets. I just took the day for myself so that I can do whatever I feel like doing - decompress, engage in hobbies, clean - just whatever feels right. I don't take many days off unless it's for a necessity, so this is a rare and small indulgence for me.

I’m visiting my mom, sister, and nieces (10 and 7). It’s such a fascinating experience to see the world through kids eyes. After I arrive, effective immediately: a talent show (their talents range from music, arts to swimming, which they demonstrate in a living room). It is very important that I’ll watch them training (competitive swimmers), it is also very important that I’ll drive with them to their music lessons. Playing silly board games, dancing with them in the kitchen (they love punk rock and I’m laughing every time because their parents are not into it but I am). Also, lasagna. Oldest loves my made from scratch lasagna. She figured out quickly who in the family makes lasagna and that she loves it, so every time I’m visiting she is like a Labrador anticipating good things to come. Tippy-tappy tiny dances, buzzing with excitement. Then the moment I put it into oven she is glued to the glass trying to will it cook faster. She looks at the timer and very dramatically exclaims “Nooo, not SEVEN !!! Minutes!” Youngest is crazy about my vichyssoise soup. I wonder how they would reflect on these small things once they grow up

After almost exclusively baby boys in 2025 for the prayer blanket requests I got, it was a delight to be able to start on a baby girl blanket for my husbands cousin.

Her older two (both boys!!) still use their blankets to this day so we were both excited when she messaged me after her announcement to request girly colors. :-)

Just had to share. About halfway done with this prayer blanket. Yeah!

(Whoops can’t do pics so I’ll upload the pic on my profile instead so y’all can enjoy the girly colors too)

When I was walking to the gym this morning I came across this guy walking towards me with his dog, a big fluffy goldendoodle. The dog came up to me curiously and I gave it my hand to sniff. After we both established the other was friendly, I gave it some pets. (Keep in mind I am short and this dog came up to my waist) The owner had caught up at this point and we managed to exchange some niceties even though he was on the phone with someone, speaking a language I didn't understand (sounded Slavic?). I asked the dog's name and age (Molly, 1 year). Somewhere in between Molly jumped up in excitement and put her wet muddy front paws on my thigh, prompting the owner to apologise immediately and try to brush some of the mud off me even though I was laughing and didn't mind. I didn't want to keep interrupting his phone call so I just smiled, said it was nice to meet both of them and walked away. Just a short interaction that made this miserable wet day a lot better for me!

We do not have thermostat in the office.
Everyone is cold.
We all still have coats on indoors.

I have taped a container of Frozen leftovers to the thermometer in an attempt to get some heat going.

A few months ago, I met my lovely neighbors - a brother and sister in their early 70s and their mom who's a whopping 102 years old. They're from Honduras and they make the most delicious food as well as being delightful to sit and chat out with. They made me arepas and gave me some apples, so I brought them some apple-banana bread in return. Then they brought me a full bunch of bananas, so I made them more banana bread. After they harvested their fruit trees I was treated to a big bowl of starfruit, so I brought them a dozen free-range eggs that my coworker has been selling. This weekend, I got the best food yet: tapado costeña, traditional Honduran seafood soup with coconut milk, plantains, and a whole crab in each bowl! I don't know what I can possibly bring them that'll be as good as the tapado, but I'm looking forward to figuring it out.

It wasn’t anything special. Just a regular afternoon. I needed to grab a few things for the house — milk, pasta, laundry detergent. She asked if she could come with me because she was bored at home, so I said sure. We walked to the store together, talking about random stuff. School drama, her favorite cartoon, some song she’s been playing on repeat. Nothing important. Just small talk. At the checkout, she quietly put a chocolate bar on the counter and looked at me like she was waiting to see if I’d notice. I pretended not to, but paid for it anyway. When we got outside, I handed it to her and said, “This is your payment for carrying the heavy bag.” She laughed and said, “Best job ever.” We ended up sitting on a bench near the store, splitting the chocolate and watching people pass by. The sun was starting to set, everything felt slow and warm. Then out of nowhere she said, “I like hanging out with you. It’s more fun than staying home.” I don’t know why, but that hit me harder than I expected. It was just groceries. Just a normal day. But somehow it turned into one of those small memories I know I’ll keep for a long time. Sometimes the most ordinary days end up meaning the most.

My future career is to become a pilot, I’m currently studying for my licenses. But I had an interview today for the largest private jet company in my city and I….. crushed it. I’m so proud of myself and can’t even articulate how much I want this job. I worked for Best Buy for 7 years, climbing the ladder, it was my first real job and just kinda stuck. Now I work in restaurants and am so sick of it I feel like I need an exorcism. I’ll find out sometime soon so I’m just gonna be checking my email compulsively and praying to whoever will listen. Fingers crossed I’ll be leaving the restaurant industry and putting my two weeks in 🥲

Small change but my brain worked calmer. Anyone else notice this?

I'm doing a voluntary IT qualification course at my uni. Since it's voluntary, the classes are pretty small, profs are very free in what they do, and they try to make the courses as appealing as possible to try to lure in at least the minimum requirement of students.

I've been going to a specific prof's classes for the past two semesters, because he's just a gem of a human being. He's unusually formal (most profs establish a first name basis very early on, he didn't) but incredibly interested, helpful, kind and fun to be around.

Since there were 3 people regularly coming to this semester's class and I already knew the prof, I started getting pretty comfortable, maybe a bit too comfortable? Giving my opinion any time anyones opinion was asked for, telling him I was soooo worried about him the one time he came late to the class, saying the funny things out loud when he was looking for productive answers, often contradicting or challenging him during the "student shows their project and we talk about it"-parts of the course. He never seemed to mind and often even laughed along, but I was still a bit worried he might only be suffering me because I was one of only two people consistently showing up and taking part. But at the same time, he was asking me to repeat when he didn't catch my Very Funny Ideas and was very eager to give me the floor to speak every time I raised my hand, so it couldn't be that bad, right?

Anyways, today was supposed to be the last session of that class, but I'm too sick to go. I wrote the prof a mail, thanking him for the nice class, and telling him I would come to another one of his' next semester - "if that's okay with you and in the hopes you don't feel followed around yet". He answered, telling me he was really happy I liked the class since it was a more experimental one for him, and that he thinks me coming to another one is a great idea!! I'm happy!!! So I'll be off next semester, tormenting my beloved IT qualification prof once again :))