I’ve been thinking about the cozy life in difficult times and how it all fits together. Yesterday I had a bit of an epiphany from, of all places, a Lawrence Welk quote on a calendar.
Each Christmas, I give David a Non-Sequitur day-to-day desk calendar. I don’t know how many years in a row I’ve done so, but it’s simply part of our Christmas tradition. The quote on the back of yesterday’s page was courtesy of Lawrence Welk and seemed so appropriate for where my life, at least, seems to be right now. I’m guessing I’m not the only one who feels this way.
There are good days and there are bad days, and this is one of them.
I don’t know about you, but that seems to sum up my days at this point in time.
Cozy Days of Good and Bad
My days are filled with good things. Caroline is really happy and thriving in multiple ways which brings me great joy (and relief). I’ve found renewed energy for my work. It’s autumn, my favorite season, with gorgeous colors and cooler temperatures. Soon all the bugs and allergens outside will be dead. Life is good.
But life is also hard and it can make the days seem “bad” if I let them. I’m tired due to my health. Our family is under a lot of pressure in one particular area. Caroline has already had her first illness of the fall which begins the delicate balance of not wanting to become total hermits for the next six months, but also trying to keep sickness out of our home for a number of reasons.
And then there is the intense cultural battle going on around us which I know I feel and I think most people who love and appreciate this country feel.
So I wake up excited each morning for the “good” ahead and also tempted to feel apprehensive about dealing with the “bad” that is part of my life and must be dealt with.
Cozy Living in Difficult Times
All this led me to think about the cozy life and what it means during difficult times. And, even more so, how the cozy life is a strong foundation in challenging times. It’s easy to see how the cozy life fits into the good of life. What about the rest of it?
Cozy living, as I define it, is creating a life of peace, understanding, and joy for you and your loved ones.
It doesn’t matter if the difficult times we face come from within our home or without. During difficult times, a cozy life is exactly what we need.
- We need a life of peace with purposeful rhythm, organization, and routines.
- We need a life of understanding with strong relationships.
- We need a life of joy that includes simplifying our life to that which brings value to our lives.
If we homeschool, we bring the cozy life into our homeschool.
We choose the propaganda we view in order to protect our peace and focus.
We make sure our home offers our loved ones what they need.
We focus on enjoying all the good we have as Americans who have our own version of the cozy life.
If we have a differently-wired child, we do what we can because differently-wired children need a cozy life.
Cultivating a cozy life offers a bulwark against the challenges of life. When we organize and prioritize our life around our core values, it is far easier to face the “bad” days that inevitably come.
Cozy Living Resources
I’ve slowly been filling my site with cozy living encouragement and resources. I believe strongly in the truth of cultivating a life of peace, understanding, and joy. If you feel like difficult times are surrounding you for whatever reason, I encourage you to proactively do something to add peace, understanding, and joy to your life and the life of your loved ones. My site is full of ideas that I’ve linked to above. There are also other resources such as:
- Taking an Internet and Social Media Challenge
- Adding beauty and hope with Free Desktop Backgrounds Wallpaper
- Spending time with Scripture Themes for Cozy Living – Peace, Understanding, and Joy
- Reading one of the 100+ Free Old-Fashioned Cozy Books for Kindle
- Reading one of My Favorite Simple Living Books
- Prioritizing Creating a Quiet Time Routine
- Reflecting on 21 Days of Scripture for Simple Living
- Read picture books with your child from A Month of Cozy Books
- Exploring the encouraging products in the Cozy Living section of my shop
- Enjoying a just-for-fun unit study such as Squirrels or Scarecrows
- Finding a new favorite among the list of Cozy Blogs I’m Reading
- Thinking about what it means to parent and homeschool at Godspeed
- Reflecting on Quotes about Trusting God
- Embracing The Freedom of Learning to Say “No”
In the next few weeks I’ll also be releasing what I’ve tentatively titled The Cozy Living Guidebook. I’m looking forward to providing this resource to help women create lives of greater peace, understanding, and joy. In the meantime, I hope you will find a renewed sense of purpose today with the resources above.
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