I love this round-up post hosted by Emily P. Freeman (an author and blogger I really love) -- reflecting on what I've learned throughout a season is a great way to take note of what's working, how I'm growing, where I need to focus my attention, and what the Lord is doing in my life. I downloaded this helpful free sheet from Emily's site and taped it inside my planner so I could jot things down throughout the last few months (a lifesaver!) and now I get to share them with you. This list is from March through May!

Here's what I learned this spring:

I need so much more margin than I've had lately. Thankfully, I've made progress on this one since it made the list in March. Thank Jesus for rest and free evenings on my calendar.
Lemon + lavender + peppermint oils are allergy lifesavers. Roll that combo right under your nose, and you'll breathe easier in minutes.
My hands in the dirt of my little garden can cure all kinds of sad feelings. The #littleRADgarden is such a restorative thing for me-- just spending time planting seeds, getting my hands messy, picking nearly-ripe tomatoes before the squirrels get to them, and checking on the progress every morning as I'm watering is SO GOOD for my soul.
The sports bar near my house is EMPTY on Mondays. My roommate and I learned this when we went to watch a Caps playoff game (RIP, Stanley Cup run... you were fun while you lasted, but I wasn't surprised we choked when we did since we always do...) and had the whole bar to ourselves. But hey! It's more fun that way, if you ask me. #introvertsparadise
You're never too old for jellybean hunts. My mom surprised me with this childhood tradition, and it was the best.
There are many gifts to name, even on the hard days. This is one of those things that just takes work and attention and intention. Get out the pen, get out the journal. Take a minute to look around you and name the good things. There are always, always good things.
Finding a good therapist (and showing up every week to do the hard work) is life-changing and a humbling gift. I'll write more about this at some point, but for now, I'm just thankful for the gift of counseling. I'm wrecked by it every week, but in the best way.
I have really, really good people in my corner. Nearly 20 of them came to celebrate my 25th birthday with me on a rooftop bar in the middle of this city of mine, and it was lovely. Birthdays are always the sweetest reminder of all the people who love me well. Grateful.
It's worth it to carve out time with the long-distance friends. Find time. Make plans. Show up. Go on hikes. Eat vegan ice cream. Get tacos. Drink matcha lattes. Talk all about the Enneagram. Make the time for the people you don't get to see every day-- it will fill you RIGHT on up.
Writing a Psalm out every day is a rich and fruitful spiritual discipline. I'm all about wanting to slow down and savor Scripture these days, and this has been such a tangible way of doing that. One Psalm, every day. Writing out every word makes you actually think about them... and it is good.
I journal way more in the hard seasons of life than the light ones. Aka, my journal is filling up FAST these days.
Hiking is my new favorite thing. Thanks to my parents for supplying me with new boots + a pack for my birthday -- I'm on a roll with exploring all the trails around Richmond these days, and LOVING it.
Taking time away from social media is a breath of fresh air. You can read more about it all here.
I'm not great with commitment. Here's looking at you, 100 day project that I've totally forgotten to keep doing every day... I'm hoping to catch up soon... maybe...