It’s time to break some rules
Hey ZORA fam,
It all started in December, when I eagerly started a book series about a dragon-flying teen named Eragon. Usually, I finish every series I start; it’s a matter of fun and principle. But three novels in, I realized my attention was waning. And you know what? I finally gave myself permission to put that book down.
It seems simple, resetting a boundary, but it was difficult. Was I a literary quitter? No. Of course not! It wasn’t even that deep. My desires changed and so my actions needed to follow suit. It made me think about how saying no to random, self-implemented rules is perhaps the best self-care around. I gave up what I didn’t need. Now, I have more time in my schedule to focus on what’s really (haha) important: bingewatching all manner of TV shows.
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ZORA’s astrologer Ashleigh J. Day warned that this week would kick-start a self-evaluation that could facilitate healing. She was right. Closing that 400-pager fits that bill. It instantly removed pressure from my growing to-do list.
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Another gift I gave myself this week was to not worry about my kid’s schoolwork. I opted instead to let the boys run and play and blast stomp rockets into the sky. We even stayed up quite late one night to head outside and view the starry galaxy. It’s not a worksheet or a zoom, but I figure they learned just as much. They’ll be alright. So will I. And so will you.
How are you rewriting your own rules this week? I’d love to know. Meanwhile below find a list of how I’m unplugging. Maybe it’ll motivate you to unplug too.
Adrienne Gibbs, Features Editor
📚 I’m Reading:
“The House of Dies Drear” is a bedtime earworm for my kids right now. This ZORA Canon selection is amazingly fun to read out loud.
👀 I’m Watching:
Outlander! And whew, the way this steamy time travel series has me reaching for my American history books is crazy. I also appreciate the writers’ approach to slavery and the Native American genocide. Catch the first three seasons on Netflix. Seasons four and five are currently on Starz.
💻 I’m Researching:
I found some old letters and photographs from the late 1800s in my basement and went down a rabbit hole on Ancestry.com, where I actually tracked down an ancestor all the way to Africa, based off the info I found in my grandmother’s box. This made me rethink about the importance of this year’s Census. Fill it out fam! Your future great grands need this info!
