hello, life.

The Biddle Law Library is quite dead as I sit here manning (or "woman-ning?") the circulation desk. In fact, the quiescence is so deafening I believe the entire building can hear me munching away at my bag of baby carrots, each crunch echoing loudly over the unoccupied tables and chairs. I have been sitting here at this desk for coming on nine hours now, and still have two more to go before I can head back out onto the noisy streets of Philadelphia. I am wondering whether the lack of patrons is due to it being the weekend, or if it could be related to the fact that the climate of the library seems to be reaching subarctic levels. For the extent of my day I have been fantasizing about the cardigan and hot cup of coffee I will be seeking the minute my shift ends. What a way to spend one's Saturday!

If you haven't guessed, fall term has come crashing in full-swing. My recently languorous schedule has been filled to the brim with student teaching, graduate classes, coursework, studying, commuting, appointments, and yes, lots and lots of "desk-sitting." Not that I am complaining. I am so content with my bustling little life, I could just use a few more coffee breaks. And maybe a donut (strawberry frosted, of course). In the meantime, I am embracing every moment of free time that I have, whether it be by taking some photographs, wandering to the local farmer's market, writing letters to a few of my favorites, or simply bundling up in sweatpants and swaddling myself with blankets on the couch. I relish in those moments. Unfortunately, life does not give you a second chance to go back and enjoy the little things, so I revel in them every opportunity I get. This is something I learned far too late...

Someone once scolded me for not being thankful for the little things that blessed each and every one of my days. What a wise friend. I have always enjoyed the pleasure brought on by life's oft-missed details but never fully appreciated how lucky I was to experience them; the gratitude was lacking. I have always been conscious of the "little" things, which I suppose is more than some can say, but now I cherish them. My sister's laugh. The taste of warm bread and butter. A trip to the bakery and a chat with a close companion. I realize now that it is life's minutiae that really make me tick. I am forever grateful to this friend, for his sagacity and candor, for making me realize my absentmindedness.

If I have a mission or motif this autumn, it is to pay as much attention and appreciation to life's subtleties as I do to its grandiosities. I have discovered that there is equal adventure to be found in my own backyard as there is the whole world round. I have set off on such an escapade, rediscovering the magnificence that makes up every single day. Today I am braving a subarctic library. Who knows tomorrow will bring? I am ready for whatever comes my way. You can be, too.

Hello, life. What do you have planned for me next?