Blog Post #1: Magic in the Mundane

 Recently a friend asked me if I wanted to visit Lowe’s and look at the funny names of paint samples. When I read her message, my mind was flooded with memories from an earlier time in my life. When I was in elementary school, I would go to Lowe’s with my mother and younger sister to attend the children’s woodworking events. We’d be given all the parts of say, a bird feeder or a box with a chalkboard lid, and an instruction manual to follow. We would hammer, screw, and decorate away until we had built our own finished product. After the event, my small family of three would wander over to look at the paint samples. Each color was printed on a small piece of cardstock with the color name listed. On one of these occasions, my mom saw little booklets of the paint samples. She grabbed two, for me and my sister. She explained that we could use them as notebooks. When I got home that day, I happily opened my “notebook” and wrote my thoughts and doodles on the pages. Looking back, I realize the power of a low income single mom to create magic out of nothing. From the free paint sample booklet at Lowe’s, she was able to create a colorful space for me to write and draw. Each of my doodles and notes were set to a different colored backdrop, and each color had its own creative name. Looking back, I realize that it was my mom’s creativity that has allowed me to find joy in the little things in life. That’s the type of joy that no money can ever buy, and I’m grateful I was able to learn that lesson at a young age.