Hey there,

This morning the windows are streaked with rain, a dull incessant thunder is my soundtrack, tree leaves are dancing with the wind, and I’m on my second cup of coffee. The humidity is outrageous outside, but if I just stay inside and stare out the window, I can pretend it’s a beautifully cool, wet morning.

In our main living space it looks like we’re moving, but in reality we’re decluttering. During Monday’s symposium I told the kids of this week’s mission — to get rid of everything in your room you no longer love or use — so now it’s a bit mayhem. (An hour after that symposium, I overheard my middle kid joking on the phone with Kyle: hey Dad, help — Mom’s forcing us to become minimalists.)

5 Quick Things ☕️

1. 👉 New episode of A Drink With a Friend! 👈 We adults need to play, yet some of us (🙋‍♀️) frequently forget how. Play benefits our health in all sorts of ways, but it’s also just …fun. Being a real, responsible adult doesn’t mean taking everything seriously. Let’s play more! Seth & I chat about what this looks like for us.

2. Why do people look so serious in old photos? I’ve heard most of the explanations (slow camera exposure, bad teeth, etc.) but this actually makes some sense. (Time)

3. “Frog and Toad stories involve the two titular characters overcoming common problems which arise from vice. ...In each story, the only way to beat vice is through some form of suffering. Good things do not happen in Frog and Toad stories apart from suffering, self-denial, or self-control.” Gosh, now I love these amphibians even more.

4. Making art as a form of escape from Guantánamo... What amazing artwork; what a haunting story. (NYT)

5. And finally… What a stunning, way-too-short video of sheep (really).

Currently Reading, Watching, Listening 📚

• A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life, by George Saunders

Quotable 💬

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”

—Aristotle* #

(*though not literally; it’s a summary of his thoughts from Nichomachean Ethics, but whatever)

From inside The Commonplace 🏡

This week I shared with you a small but steady thing we’ve done in our family over the years, and it’s been genuinely helpful at adding scaffolding to our time:

“Our kids are used to symposia by now so they know what I mean when I call out, ‘Symposium in 15 minutes!’ They know to be ready with whatever they want to bring — a cup of tea, a bowl of granola, a piece of cardboard to cut out for a project while they listen — and to be in the living room at that time.”

If you’re a subscriber, head here to read the rest. (And thank you for your support!)

Subscribe to The Commonplace

Elsewhere 📍

tshoxenreider

A post shared by @tshoxenreider

Question For You to Ponder… 🤔

If you’re making a big decision right now, ask: When I’m looking back on my life from my deathbed, which one of these options will I regret not doing the most?*

(*HT to Neil Pasricha for this one)

Have a good weekend!

xo, Tsh

p.s. Are you sucked into The Chosen as well? The last episode of season 2 airs this Sunday 😢 — but if you haven’t watched it yet, you’re in for a bingeable treat.