The worst thing happened today at Target. You see, I’ve been using the same kind of men’s Bic razor for years. It’s relatively inexpensive. It shaves. I like it. And now they aren’t selling it anymore. Poof. Gone. They really, really should warn you when a product is going the way of the Dodo. I bought one that costs more money, and I’ve already made up my mind that it will suck. And so it begins: the chapter of my life in which I reminisce about the quality of products past that, incidentally, cost less too.

It’s been an amazing week at work. I just had to type that out and have documented evidence. Because this time last year I was sure my career was going the way of the Dodo, and man…you can legitimately have entire school years that are terrible, and then the next one falls only a little short of perfection. I am so grateful. So grateful.

Anyway, here are some links that made me think this week:

What We Are Worth This was such a sweet read. She spends time with her 102-year- old grandmother and daughter at the same time. It made me wish for so many things: that I lived closer to my Mamaw, that my parents lived closer to Novella, that Novella can be 40 and still spending time with her grandparents. I just am not coping with time very well lately. It’s nothing I can articulate, at least not in a blurb.

40 Lunches So, the author above actually has a project called “40 Lunches” in which she is honoring turning 40/ her 40th year in life by having lunch with 40 people who have impacted her life. I’ve only read like four of the entries so far, but man. I’ve been thinking: if I had to list 40 people who have impacted my life…could I? Would it be too difficult to narrow down the list or too difficult to make a list at all? I suspect it’s the former. And then I think about the word “impact,” and that’s not always a good thing. I can think of at least 3 people off the top of my head that impacted my life and left a lot of scars. Would I be willing to sit with them? Would they be willing to sit with me? Y’all…this is a link that truly has me thinking!

What If All I Want is a Mediocre Life? The title says it all. This is basically me. My heart. I just want to be simple. I want my family to feel loved, oh so loved by me. I want my students to see a direct correlation in the work I put into them and the love I have for them. I want to be the broom. And honestly, I want to be extraordinary to those in my own backyard. I truly feel it is my calling. Those little details in life? They are monumentally important.

Nora Ephron Knows What To Do Disclaimer: This link is like 8 years old. For me, there’s The Holy Bible, and then there’s the world, according to Nora. I could probably pen my own parallel novel a la Julie and Julia except it would be Amelia and Nora. Her words have gotten me through so much in the weirdest ways- from associating so many scenes of You’ve Got Mail to many scenes in my own life as a teenager dating (my now husband) to reading I Remember Nothing on the beaches of Punta Cana weeks before my child was inexplicably (supposedly) conceived…she has always been there. I love her essays; she really doesn’t sugar coat a darn thing, and while she’s wildly famous and had this amazing upbringing, she’s surprisingly human. I. Just. Love. Her. If you think I’m exaggerating, you should know: if I am ever blessed with another little girl, her name will be Nora.