Care Packages! (just another excuse to bake)

"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future" - JRR Tolkien

I am an introvert. It's a part of my personality that, I think, defines me the most. A lot of this has to do with the fact that I grew up thinking I was weird and crazy. I live in a society that heavily favors extraversion. You go to parties, network, make small talk, and meet new people all of the time. I'm just not interested.

It wasn't until I was a junior in college that I really came to understand the meaning of "introvert." It doesn't mean you're anti-social or shy. It just describes the way you get or lose your personal energy. There are so many fascinating differences between introverts and extraverts, and I'm sure I'll into them more in future posts. The main thing I'd like to discuss here is friendships with introverts.

I have a few friends that I care about deeply. Each phase of my life (school, college, work, grad school) is defined by the friends I made. As I move between those parts of my life, I only manage to keep a small core group of friends. I know this should make me sad, but I can't imagine how exhausting and superficial my friendships would be if I still had to keep in touch with every friend I ever made.

My tight-knit group of friends is very special to me. I love them. I'm not an overly-affectionate person, nor am I skilled at expressing my emotions. In order to show my friends how I feel (those I hope to keep forever) I occasionally reach out in a way that they will understand is my way of saying that I care about them.

This year I began a new phase in my life. i quit my job, moved, and began grad school and teaching. This means that some of the people I currently care most about are scattered all around the country. This fall, I've decided to show them how much I care by sending them an old-fashioned care package.

Care Package Contains:

- Ginger Snaps

- Maple Brown Butter Cookies

- Tazo calming teas

- Cinnamon sticks

- Cinnamon-scented pine cones

- Leaves from my front yard

#lifestyle #fall