Caroline Somp - A Year of Little Things: 100 Simple Ways to Be Happy

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T HIS BOOK IS DEDICATED

TO MY GRANDMOTHER ,

Anna Carin Holmquist,

WHO WAS MY BEST FRIEND ,

ALWAYS SHARING

THE LITTLE THINGS WITH ME .

A year not so long ago, I decided to write down everything I wanted to have or accomplish in my life within a certain time period. The resulting list contained mainly what I call little things. Everyday experiences that enrich life, simple pleasures. Small events or thoughtful moments to mark the turning of the seasons. Seizing opportunities and choosing to take responsibility for your life, to be the one behind the steering wheel.

This book is loosely based on the things in that list and covers one whole year. It is not meant to be a book of shoulds. It is meant to be an invitation to live more deliberately, to notice what is already unfolding in your life daily, and to sneak in the spontaneous and out of the ordinary whenever possible.

Dream

A new year before you like a notebook unopenedcrisp, empty pages, straight spine, dreams not dreamt yet, magic unknown. Instead of filling the first page with resolutions, how about something juicy and colorful? Rather than what you should do, what do you want? What dreams flutter in your chest? If you dared, how would life make you feel, where would you be? Aim outrageously high, just to see where youll end up. Add some empty space for the unexpected, let the possibilities find you. Write a list of what you want in your life. What will this year bring if only you imagine it?

Bring Winter Inside

I want to live deliberately and with awareness, following the seasons and the rhythm outside. Bringing nature indoors is my way of remembering this for every part of the year. Winter in southern Britain is green, but not in a lack-of-snow way, I mean really green. Lushly, deeply, and richly. Graceful ivy dress the trees, brambles weave across the ground, and the moss is a glowing carpet. The curled-up beech leaves covering the forest floor and the few still clinging on the branches balance the greenery with their deep browns. Dainty snowdrops slowly poke their heads aboveground just as winter tightens its grip with frosty mornings and icy winds.

Sew a Quilt

I dream of whites, browns, blues, and perhaps some green. Soft cotton fabrics, patterns quilted like clouds or leaves, simple edgings and dimensions to spill over the edge a little. Imagine sleeping under something you have worked into being, poured love over, and stitched dreams into. People used to salvage small scraps of fabric from anywhere they could find; the trousers that couldnt possibly be patched one more time, the shirt that had worn too thin, the torn curtains, the childrens outgrown clothes, the old tablecloth. Memories of times together were sewn together into something that could be used for a long time still, and be a source of beauty in the home with unique patterns and color combinations. My quilt would be very simple, as I like it, but Id still sew my life into the pieces.

Stretch

Do you wiggle your toes in bed in the morning? I do. Rub your eyes? Stretch your arms out? Its a natural thing for the body to want to stretch out. Dogs and cats will have a good, long yawn and a meticulous back stretch before they leave their nap time. Nobody taught them how to do it, their bodies just know. Did you ever ask yours what it might like? No need to follow a book (unless you really want to), just do what feels good. Reach to the tips of your fingers, arch your back like a cat, shake your legs out, hug your knees. Stretch in bed or on the floor, just give it a minute in the morning.

Create

Creamy crumbly pastels, neat saturated watercolors, crisp flowing pencil lines. Ballpoint pen doodles in the margin, bright blue, yellow, orange felt-tip, jet-black ink. What would you choose to create with? If you didnt think about it, just let it spread over the page? No need to know how, in fact, even better if you dont. Crimson, violet, sky blue, leaf greenanything goes. Loopy lines, dark blotches, intricate patterns. On the tiniest scrap of paper or with plenty of space. Get your crayons out, play around for an evening.

Touch Sunlight

When evening begins in the afternoon and you arrive at work in the dark, every little glimmer of sunshine counts. I walk on the sunny side of the street, turn toward the light at the bus stop, revel in the last rich orange tones of the day, touch the patches of sunlight on the wall. Light and warmth penetrate deep in the winterlet it pat your back, dazzle you softly, tickle the soles of your feet on Sunday mornings.

Write the Story of Your Life

If your life was a fairy tale, where would once upon a time begin? Where is the story setby an ocean? In the hills or a vast city? Is it a beginning full of color and sound or is it quiet and drab? Who are the good guys, what did the villains do? What made the hero or heroine set out on the grand adventure? How did the coincidences add up, where did the winding road go? Who crossed the path, what did they bring? Where is the ending unraveling now? You are the only one who can write this story.

Eat Leafy Greens

I miss green in the winter. Lettuce is replaced by carrots and beets in our salads and the amounts of garden parsley we use tapers down to a sprig for decoration. The leafy greens that stay fresh long into autumn and winter are the exception. They are a conveniently forgotten ingredient in my kitchen with their acquired taste, but every time I give in they surprise me. A blended soup of kale and red lentils is creamy and sweet. One of the best dishes I ever had was spinach koftas fried in chickpea flour. Chard with olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper is delicious in its simplicity. Try them, not just because they are good for you, but because they may surprise you.