from my cousin's blog. she writes so eloquently.


"You ever get a case of the longing? You know, like when you've been looking at Pinterest for too long, and you start longing for the money to buy all the necessary boots and handbags and scarves to really complete your autumn ensemble, or the creativity and time and patience to come up with strange ideas for decorating your house, like wrapping colored tulle around a duct taped foam noodle to create a fall wreath for $5 or less?

Or when you start browsing other blogs, and longing for the ability to write like everyone else seems to be able to write, or for the persistence to do it consistently?

Or when you see people your age doing exciting things, like starting a family and taking their kids trick-or-treating, or moving to exciting places, like Europe, or New York, and longing for a little excitement?

And one day you find yourself speeding down the highway with no regard to speed limit, radio on full blast, belting out with everything you've got, from the tips of your half-painted toenails to the split ends of your unruly hair, Sing us a song, you're the piano maaaaaaan, because what song better expresses longing than that masterpiece.

And you keep longing, and longing, until you realize that you are losing yourself? That your self is getting so wrapped up in longing that it can't figure out which way gets you to the bathroom and which way gets you to bed?

{Thou shalt not covet.}

Oops. Maybe you indulge yourself in that longing for a couple of days. Maybe you allow yourself to be a little impatient, a little unforgiving, a little peevish.

But then, my dear, you have indulged long enough. You need to turn off your sad, sad songs. You need to take hot shower. You need to sing it out Elton John-style one more time in the hot water and echo-y walls, and then you need to re-paint your toe nails, and comb your hair, and get back in bed next to your sleeping husband.

And now you kiss him on the nose, and interlace your fingers in his, and realize all over again what a gorgeous jaw bone he has, and how cute his hairline is, and how sweet it was of him to fix the blown fuse tonight, and you remember just how darn lucky you are to be lying next to this man, at this precious moment, in this unique and special and adventurous life. And suddenly the longing is over. And you are perfectly content to be lying here next to this man, in this comfy bed in this strange town.

And all is well."