Vision for the Perfect Day in My Wild & Graceful Life

I wake naturally to the soft light of morning filtering through the curtains. No blaring alarms. Just the gentle rhythm of the earth calling me awake. I stretch under a warm quilt, say a quiet prayer of thanks, and pad barefoot to the kitchen where I set the tea kettle and pour boiling water over fresh grounds, creating a rich, fragrant cup of coffee.

Outside, the mist is still rising off the hills.

I slip on my cozy sweater, grab my journal, and step out onto the porch. The air is crisp and smells like morning dew and wood. I sit with my coffee, breathing in the morning. Pen to paper as a few lines flow into my journal, thoughts, prayers, ideas for a new blog post, or video.

Mid-morning, I spend an hour or two creating, maybe recording a short video about my favorite fall herbal tea blend, or writing a gentle blog post called “Starting Over After 50: A Letter to My Sisters.” I don't rush. I create from a place of peace.

I check my Etsy orders — a few new sales of my "Slow Morning" printable journal. I answer a kind comment on my YouTube channel — a woman saying my words made her feel seen and hopeful.

Around lunchtime, I fix something simple, maybe a salad with homegrown greens and herbs, or a slice of quiche from yesterday’s baking. The afternoon is for tending real things:— Checking the garden-- Gathering eggs from the chickens

-- Mixing a new batch of calendula balm.

--Maybe a drive into town to the small library or local market where people know me by name.

Later, I might film a casual “day in the life” vlog, walking my audience through my afternoon, little scenes of watering plants, making tea, laughing when my dog photobombs my filming. It’s all real. It’s all enough.

As the sun sets, I take a slow walk down my country road. The birds sing their evening songs. The sky turns pink and gold. I think about how just a few years ago, I felt trapped and overwhelmed, and how somehow, by grace and grit, I've built a life that feels like home to my soul.

Dinner is simple but delicious, maybe a hearty stew, fresh bread, and berries for dessert.

I end the evening with soft lighting, a candle lit in the kitchen window, reading or knitting or writing a few letters, then a hot bubble bath in a deep clawfoot tub.

Just before bed, I step outside one last time, barefoot on the earth, breathing in the stars. I say a prayer, not a frantic one, not a desperate one, but a prayer of deep, quiet gratitude.

And when I lay my head down to sleep, I feel it in my bones: I am living my real, beautiful life. At last.

I'm working toward building this beautiful life........one day at a time.

Tamara Bernal April 2025