& on the note of being here… amber & i have a pretty fantastic mood expression book in our apartment. it belonged to my mom in the 70’s. i think i snatched it from her years ago while rummaging through an old trunk of hers. i thought, & still think, it’s just about the coolest thing & it’s only a little because i’m extra bias to “vintage” items. on top of the amazing illustrations, it’s actually a useful tool to help express yourself in the moment. sometimes amber & i will jokingly turn it to a page that says, “i’m sorry i was bitchy.” or “i’m in the mood!” sometimes we’ll change the mood over to what we think the cats might be feeling. other times i use it to remind amber how much i love & appreciate her as a friend & as a roommate. but one of my favorite things is when we have guests over & they change it to suit their moods.

another aspect of being in the present moment is truly embracing your emotions & releasing them in positive ways. there are even positive outlets for more negative emotions like anger, frustration or irritation, they’re just a little bit harder to channel. just remember to live in love.