Reese Marie

I didn't think I would end up here. I don't know what exactly led me to believe it, but I thought I would be able to move out after graduating from college. I wanted to leave home and to start a life on my own, but I was presented with two insurmountable brick walls, the first in the form of student loans and the second in the form of the COVID economy. I spent hours everyday on the LinkedIn job board with little luck. I know I'm not alone in this struggle. I didn't think I would end up here, but here I am. Living at home.

Having dinner with Van Gogh is a dream of mine. He is one of the most influential artists of all time, and a favorite artist of mine. He possessed so much genius, so much creativity, and although he left the world too soon, he gave the world a beautiful gift in every single one of his paintings. I was at an art museum once, looking at a self portrait by Van Gogh, and I was struck by the reality that Van Gogh had stood in front of that painting, where I was standing now. His hands touched the space in front of me and created the work of art which was now inches in front of my face. It was almost difficult to fully acknowledge and to really take in. But it got me thinking about how much I would have loved to know him in real life. What would such a genius be like on an average day? These curiosities only heightened when I looked at the painting of his bedroom a few minutes later. It was such an ordinary space, yet painted with such emotion and story.

Italian food. Everyone loves it. It’s a classic dinner party go-to and for good reason. I mean, who can turn down a hot bowl of mostaccioli with cheese melting on top? It’s a crowd pleaser and a safe bet for whoever spends the money on the catering service.

“I defeated the darkest wizard of all time, thus saving the world from destruction. Actually, I defeated him twice, the first time was when I was a baby. What about you, what do you do?”

What’s not to love about Christian Bale singing and dancing, being all tough but showing an emotional side, becoming a fearless leader, fighting for his friends, and eventually leading them to victory? Jack Kelly, aka young Christian Bale with the most perfect hair, was my first celebrity crush– or maybe I should say “character crush” as I was enamored by the onscreen Newsy than the man who, unbeknownst to me at the time, also played Batman. Newsies became a favorite movie of mine just a few frames in. There’s a magic about it that any other Newsies fan can vouch for, I’m sure! I remember being completely pulled into the 1899 New York City setting when I heard a little ragtime piano riff in the background of the opening scene. After the big opening number, Carrying the Banner, I was all in, ready to side with these boys in whatever they took on. Jack Kelly was an intriguing character, confident, if a little bit arrogant, with a particular kind of intelligence, and of course, charming as they come. He had the New York accent and the hair that fell perfectly in front of his face. But I really fell in love when he began to sing, “Santa Fe.” Here are some of the reasons I fell head over heels for this banner-carrying, day-seizing king of New York.

Don’t let the rain stop you from going for a walk (unless it’s a violent thunderstorm). Instead, let’s turn this rainy day walk into a rainy day meditation. Grab your umbrella and take this time to be present as you walk in the rain.