A Wren Says

Gas prices are ridiculously high. There is an ongoing war. Scratch that, wars. There have been random violent attacks across cities. There is political instability. More and more people are getting laid off each day as companies lean in to AI and away from human labor. And I’m sitting here looking up mascaras. As the world figuratively, and at times literally, burns, my focus is on makeup. How can I be focused on something so trivial when there are more important matters to care about?

I could chastise myself for that. I could tell myself, this is silly, that I should be focused on those “more important matters.” Maybe that would be a good idea. But you know what, these trivial things matter to. I could sit and judge myself for the frivolity, but I won’t. This small gesture might be the most important thing I do today.

Taking this pause shows me that even though it seems like everything is going wrong, not everything is going wrong. When there is utter chaos all around, a this seemingly insignificant moment gives me power over my own experience. It reminds me that beauty exists in the world and beauty exists in me.

Sometimes it’s the meaningless that gives life more meaning.