Sophie Blackall - Things to Look Forward To: 52 Large and Small Joys for Today and Every Day

Copyright 2022 by Sophie Blackall.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

ISBN 9781797217710 (epub, mobi)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Blackall, Sophie, author.

Title: Things to look forward to : 52 large and small joys for today and every day / Sophie Blackall.

Description: San Francisco : Chronicle Books, [2022]

Identifiers: LCCN 2021046671 | ISBN 9781797214481 (hardcover)

Subjects: LCSH: Joy. | Enthusiasm. | Hope.

Classification: LCC BF575.H27 B5478 2022 | DDC 158.1--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021046671

Design by Allison Weiner.

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I have always been a cheerful sort of person, able to find the silver lining in just about any cloud, but 2020 was a son-of-a-cumulonimbus. There was the pandemic, of course, which knocked us all sideways. Like most people, I tried to remain hopeful, counting my blessings, grateful to be alive when so many were dying. But also like most people, I was full of anxiety and fear and grief and uncertainty. My partner, Ed, and I worried about bills, fretted about my aging parents, and missed our kids, who were living away from home. Deciding to downsize, we moved out of the apartment we had happily rented for ten years with our blended family, the longest either of us had ever lived anywhere. We canceled our wedding, because we knew we couldnt get married without our loved ones. Then in the fall, Nick, the dear, queer father of my children, died in an accident on the other side of the world. The thunderclouds really closed in then, and for a while I struggled to find any rays of hope. I almost lost sight of beauty and wonder and delight.

One morning, standing under a hot shower, I decided I needed to make a list of Things to Look Forward To. I thought perhaps other people might need such a list too, and maybe they could collect their own things, and together we would build a whole stockpile. No matter how gloomy the clouds, I told myself, there is always something bright on the horizoneven if we have to squint to see it. Even if we have to create it ourselves.

As I compiled my list, I realized that many of these things could be done right away. There is pleasure in anticipation, but also in instant gratification.

I posted the first batch with drawings on Instagram, and the response was quite something. I received dozens and dozens of pictures of eggs with faces on them. People told me their favorite bits of their favorite books. They baked muffins and delivered them to neighbors and first responders. They told me about things they had learned and things they wanted to learn. Their new skills inspired others, who vowed to take up whittling or brewing. We were doing the things, even as we were looking forward to them.

I have often found myself romanticizing the Before Times, when we could travel the world and hug our friends and shake hands with strangers, but I have come to the conclusion that its better to look forward: to gather the things weve learned and to use our patience and perseverance and courage and empathy to care for each other and to work toward a better future for all people. To look forward to things like long-term environmental protection and racial justice; equal rights and an inclusive society; free health care and equitable education; an end to poverty, hunger, war. But we can also look forward to everyday things that will buoy our spirits and make us laugh and help us feel alive and that will bring others comfort and hope. I hope this list will give you some Things to Look Forward To, and if you hate tidying up or take offense at flowers that look like furry brains, you can tear out those pages and insert your own. Or better yet, make your own list.

Perhaps youll even share it with me. I look forward to that!

President Barack Obama once said, No matter what happens, the sun will rise in the morning.

Its true and worth remembering. Even if its temporarily behind a cloud, the sun will come up, and a new day will dawn.

When I ask people what they look forward to in life, the answer I hear more than any other is coffee.

The coffee-making process is part of the pleasure for lots of people: the release of yesterdays compressed puck of spent grounds, the grinding of fresh beans, the anticipation of the first sputtering hiss from the espresso spout or the first gurgling drip of the percolator. Or they look forward to a beloved coffee cart on a favorite street corner, an alluring barista, or a trusted thermos that takes the edge off the early-morning dog walk. Coffee is the boost we need to get going and to keep going.

My friend Melissa tells me she has a fancy new coffeepot and has started going to bed earlier and earlier so that the morning will come sooner.

Some people like tea, but its not the same. Not at all the same.

I never take a hot shower for granted and never underestimate its power to make me feel better. Coming from drought country, I mostly try to keep my showers short. But now and then I let the hot water run.

We have carpenters working on our barn, and I look forward to baking them muffins. I made the first batch the day the weather changed. The men were on the roof. Frost was on the ground. The muffins were warm.