Things of Beauty #21
New spaces in old places, rethinking belonging, & double helpings of what you need
I've lived in Richmond, VA for nearly 21 years now, making it the place where I've spent the second-longest amount of time in my lifetime. It's strange how that feels simultaneously true and hard to believe. Even after more than 20 years, I still find new-to-me spaces that have been here way longer than I have. Which is a pretty fun little moment of beauty.
More on that, plus a few things to read, a fun spring flower to ponder, and a moment (or two) of quiet:
⛪️ New, old places. There is this building on one of the main thoroughfares through my city that I've been aware of for the 20+ years I've lived here but never visited. Monumental Church stands out from its place on Broad Street as a stark contrast to the high-rise buildings all around it. You can't help but notice it, but I'm not sure I even conceptualized that you could visit it until last week when a friend (hi, Sally!) invited me to a book signing there.
Author Rachel Beanland's most recent book, The House is On Fire, is set against the backdrop of a fire that occurred in the theater that was originally on the site. The church was built later as a monument to the more than 70 people who died in the fire. It was awesome to explore this corner of my city I'd never seen on a beautiful spring evening.
📙 This article is an interesting anecdote about the Trent Crimm character on Ted Lasso, but it's also a really good example of how character backstory (implicit or explicit) informs excellent acting and writing. (h/t to Julia for sharing!)
📗 I wrote about "belonging" and its long history in higher education a couple of weeks ago. This article, Stop Telling Students, 'You Belong!' was shared in a meeting recently. Even if you aren't an educator, there are some really salient points made about listening deeply and creating space and frameworks that help people find their own best solutions:
It's not our job to tell students how they feel. It is our job to create ways of thinking, cultures, and personal relationships that make school a place of genuine belonging for every child.
🌸 Phlox. These pretty little flowers make me smile every spring, as does the spelling of their name. This was the first Ph makes the F sound words I learned as a child (we had a big patch of pink ones in our yard), and that x at the end is just icing on the cake. Words are cool.
🙏 I cued up this video to do some yoga the other morning after I had finished my morning meditation— totally missing the very clear fact (right there in the title) that this was a meditation not a yoga class. Obviously, I was just being given a nudge that I needed a bit more time in the quiet that morning. It's a good one, whether it's your first or second sit of the day.
Have you found any new-to-you places where you live lately? Any good reads, favorite fun words, or nudges from the universe? Tell me about them all!
Be well, find tiny joy-
Mary Chris