The Gift of a Moleskin

Roy and Jace left for Nosoca Pines Ranch yesterday morning. They are headed down for a mini-retreat for the Pisgah staff, filled with boat rides and canoeing and swimming and horseback riding and great food and summer-filled cabins. I know they're going to have a spectacular time.

Meanwhile, Savana and I stayed home (with my mom) to hold down the fort as we both have work starting today. And so, once they were gone in a blaze of glory, we girls took off for a girls' day out. We started by meeting friends at the nail salon for pedicures and manicures. Lillian got her nails painted this bright, summery pink that matches her cute little personality. Tina, who works incessantly because she has these amazingly gifted hands, painted her nails a soft glittery pink. Savana and I? We're all about bold and black. What's the deal with that? I must have some hangup from my childhood that resulted in this need for dark nails and I passed that down genetically to my oldest. Or maybe it's my rebellion to having pasty skin. But whatever it is, I have these nails that one could see from a mile away.

Awesome.

And then we headed to the mall as I had a few things I needed to pick up. The very last thing on my list was a tiny notebook from Barnes & Noble called a moleskin. Now if you have never had a moleskin, you've never had a real notebook. These little guys are phenomenal. They are made with a special kind of paper that just feels good. And the covers are soft and leathery. When I buy these little notebooks, I always have grandiose ideas: I'm going to carry this around in my pocket and take notes throughout my day--enlightening quotes, sparkly ideas that cross my mind, memories that suddenly flit across my mind's horizon, things I need to do, recipes I come across, goals I want to achieve...The list continues. But the truth be said, these little notebooks stay tucked away inside my purse and I pull them out on a whim that usually doesn't resemble anything of the above: a quick mathematical equation or my budget for the month or a grocery list or...

But, my previous notebook from B&N has seen its last days as the pages are filled and so...it's time for a new one. And so, as I stood there in Barnes & Noble yesterday, I perused an entire kiosk of moleskins. They come in a variety of sizes and thicknesses and colors. It's music to my soul. I could have bought the entire rack, lugging home boxes of moleskins and designating a different "job" for each. That would be a slice of heaven, in my book.

But I finally settled for a soft pink one. No bold colors this time around (unlike my nails). As soon as I purchased it, I tucked it away inside my purse, my mind already spinning excitedly with ideas for how to fill its pages in a worthy manner.

When I got home, I helped Savana with her room for a bit. She's trying to reorganize it so that when she starts grad school in a couple of weeks, it will be easier to maintain. And so I hung up clothes for her and threw trash in a bag and created a pile of give-away stuff and chattered with her while she reminisced about high school photos and dog-eared books on her shelf.

And then, as I was making her bed, I noticed this really cool notebook that had been tossed aside and lay partway under the covers: a moleskin!

I picked it up and thumbed through it as she hasn't started using it yet. It's unlike any I've seen as it has a picture on the front and all of mine have been just plain covers. Where did you get this? I asked. And she proceeded to tell me how a friend brought it for her when she was in the hospital.

Lucky girl. She is one amazing friend.

When I first learned about moleskins years ago, I read about them on the cellephaned advertising. It said that Walt Whitman carried a moleskin with him at all times, jotting things down in quiet moments. Maybe he wrote Walden Pond on a moleskin.

I love Whitman. His words speak to my soul. He talks about finding that quiet place within your life, being centered, standing for your truth. Whitman's ideals are all about peace and kindness to others; individuality; living a life of purpose.

Back when I was in the classroom, I spent an entire 80 minute class period with my juniors on Self-Reliance because every sentence is a gem. It's a short read but it's filled with goodness. And every time I get my hands on a moleskin I am reminded of his words.

I am reminded that life is about the small moments. It's about creating a little piece of goodness in my neck of the woods. It's about the glory of nature and the beauty of a rising sun. It's about living my life with gratitude for the small things and integrity when it comes to others.

And so, even though my moleskins are typically used for random jobs on the fly rather than the meaningful moments I dream for, I can't help but be reminded every time I pick one up that life is a gift. We are granted this opportunity to laugh and find joy in the simple things. We have a few select years on this planet to hone our craft and make a wee bit of difference, no matter how small, no matter how simple...even if it's nothing more grand than giving the gift of a moleskin.