Quotes of the Week from Me:

“I really like the infrequently familiar.”

“Find ways to get sand between your toes as much as possible.”

“Everyone’s inside their own story.”

Quotes of the Week from Others:

“I’ve never seen someone critiqued into more self-confidence.” – Chelsey Goodan

“That’s what I consider true generosity. You give your all and yet you always feel as if it costs you nothing.” – Simone de Beauvoir

“Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.” – Rainer Rilke

Quick Optimism:

If you’re serious about making positive changes, you’ll be introduced and re-introduced to feelings of discomfort. The same goes for maintaining positive steadiness.

Questions of the Week:

Happy belated St. Patrick’s Day! If you haven’t considered my last name before (Conroy), yes, it is Irish. I love St. Patrick’s Day but have always appreciated it more than celebrated it.

Did you know that St. Patrick is actually originally associated with the color blue? The earliest depictions of Saint Patrick showcase blue robes and gowns, indicating chivalry and sovereignty. I’d suggest looking at some of the other history behind the Irish blue and green; as blue became more tainted in reputation, the green shamrock turned into a symbol of rebellion and nationalism beginning in the 18^th century.

There is a lot of interesting history to look at, especially surrounding holidays. But since green is American tradition, and also my favorite color, my family and I proudly wore our green to the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Burlington, Vermont yesterday.

I hope you enjoyed the celebrations and now onto the questions of the week.

Do you like sandy feet?

I love sandy feet. My family and I just got back from vacation. It was filled with days of beach time, fun restaurants, and exploring the history of St. Augustine in Florida. The three quotes of the week from me this week were inspired by some of my experiences on vacation.

While walking, or running after our toddler, on the beach, I really enjoyed people watching and having as much fun as possible. It was infrequent familiarity. I have been to the beach plenty of times. I’ve played the same games and soaked up the sun in between putting on sunscreen (still very Irish).

I also realized that everyone is in their own story. People can do the exact same things together all day long, but when they report back at the end of the day, each individual will notice different things about what they experienced. I noticed the strong current rushing from the beach back out into the ocean, my wife noticed the flag indicating the hazardous area. I noticed people tanning in the back of their pickup truck and I wondered why they weren’t on the beach. My wife thought it was a cool idea to avoid getting too sandy.

The examples can be logistical, serious, or insignificant. But it really got me thinking that I need to find as many ways to get sand between my toes as frequently as possible. Yes, literally. But I also find it important to put ourselves in scenarios that are really fun, that makes us think and wonder about current circumstances and future outcomes, and to consider the perspective of other people.

After another wonderful vacation in the books, I strongly recommend you consider St. Augustine for a trip in the future. Amazing beaches, food, and friendly people. It was quite the combination and I am excited to get more sand in my toes again soon.

Make it a sandy Monday.