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monkfishjowls:

“Suppose I am telling someone how to improve a corner of their garden. My advice would be something modest and practical: Do one small good thing; then do another small good thing; then do another good thing.”

—Christopher Alexander: The Process of Creating Life

“‘You’ll probably need to eat something,’ the baker said. ‘I hope you’ll eat some of my hot rolls. You have to eat and keep going. Eating is a small, good thing in a time like this,’ he said.

“He served them warm cinnamon rolls just out of the oven, the icing still runny. He put butter on the table and knives to spread the butter. Then the baker sat down at the table with them. He waited. He waited until they each took a roll from the platter and began to eat. ‘It’s good to eat something,’ he said, watching them. ‘There’s more. Eat up. Eat all you want. There’s all the rolls in the world in here.’

—Raymond Carver, ‘A Small Good Thing’

soothing. I needed this.