Good morning from Australia, where the blossoms are out and we’re enjoying spring! This week I’ve been thinking of an idea I heard about and loved.
It’s not self-care. It’s exquisite care.
Before you tell me, yes, yes, but I have so much on my plate…take a second, please, and think about yourself.
What if we took exquisite care of ourselves — what would that look like?
Exquisite care.
Let me tell you a quick story. I was driving home in the rain from a long day of errands, and I thought about exquisite care. What did it mean? How could I do it when I was stuck in traffic? Then I remembered I love peaceful music in the rain. So I put on This is Goldmund and drove and listened.
That’s exquisite care. (For me.)
Today, how would you take exquisite care of you?
It’s the little things, baby.
Quick — think of what YOU love. Your special list. Here’s mine:
Baking something.
Hot coffee. Even better, in an English bone china cup, with a saucer.
Being in nature and not hearing traffic.
Reading before bed. (Ohhhhh, getting into an already-warm bed!)
Perfume.
Dressing up to show my respect for someone’s event, or to respect what I love to do. (Example: I always dress up for my Thursday night dance class. I’ve turned it into ‘date night’ even if it’s only the class and the drive home with my husband. I have the clothes anyway. I love the class. Exquisite care, for me, is loving the entire experience and showing that I value it.)
You get the idea. Exquisite care doesn’t need to be self-care (bubble baths, all that time, etc etc). It means thinking about what matters to you. Maybe it’s not dressing up or hot coffee, but it’s something.
Do you even know what it is? What is your exquisite self-care?
Thinking of you all around the world today, and sending you love.
Catherine xx
PS - Did you know I send a newsletter every Sunday at Love Our Age? If you’d like weekly posts like this one, sign up and follow along! Love to have you at Love Our Age :)
Please tell a friend about our new book, VIOLIN & CELLO! It’s a beautiful book for young musicians. Joanna (who has a newborn!), Alex (busy at uni, studying!) and I thank you for spreading the word. Truly! In Australia in all good bookshops and online at Amazon and Booktopia. Pre-order in Canada, America and here in the UK.
Peaches! I want to try this peach puff pastry upside down dessert. Like a danish? Sort of?
Writing: this box of pens is gorgeous, and come in a lovely package.
Aussies! Love these linen shorts for summer. I have white and bought the cream ones, too.