What’s better than a late April fools day post? Certainly for me, the answer is not getting pranked.

This year I was off work and the kids were out of school, which means we remained completely silent about what day it was. Because they didn’t realize yesterday was April 1st, the kids didn’t try to prank each other, thank all the baby angels.

Given their ages of 7,9, and 10, what they think is hilarious is usually terrible, unfunny, and also messy

Outside of the usual hilarity (?) April augers in, i know I’m not alone in thinking more than once in the last year (or more) like I’m treading water more than living my best life, but that’s okay.

As much as I’d love life to always be full of sunshine and rainbows, it’s the contrasts that make it more worthwhile and make me really appreciate the good times.

In one of my books, the main character’s mother talks about the concept of Chiaroscuro.

Rather ironically, it’s a style of art that originated during another time of upheaval- the Renaissance.

Leonardo DaVinci himself was fond of it, and he’s arguably one of the most fascinating people in history. As a creative scientist myself, his work appeals to me on many levels.

Not only did he create art people value over 500 years after his death, but his inventions and letters are remarkably wide ranging.

While I don’t even aspire to be as incredible as he was, it does help me to look at my life and ask if I am living my best potential. I love what I do, but sometimes I’m not great at balancing all the parts of my life because of that.

It’s not a terrible problem to have— until you run out of steam. It’s easy to get stuck into routines and forget they are supposed to serve us, not the other way around. Especially when times are uncertain. We value some sense of stability, but can confuse it with stagnation.

The great resignation, as some are calling it, tells me I’m not alone in this type of thinking.

Life is short and messy, and completely without guarantees, which I think previous generations understood better than we do.

So why stay stuck in a role/job/circumstance if you can change it?

It’s a question built into many of the pieces I’ve been working on since the pandemic began. More than any other time period in my life, I’ve begun to question if I should just keep my head down and work harder, or if there is more nuance—chiaroscuro—possible to make me really love my life.

At some point—maybe this point?—a person just can’t work any harder, and we start to ask ourselves what do we value.

Is it healthy to do as much as you are, and, if not, how can you protect yourself?

On that note, I know what I want to choose for my next life.

I shall come back as a pampered house cat. With a loving granny to make me special snacks and do my bidding.

Wishing you all peace and creativity, and as always, hoping for the sun to come out from behind the clouds,

H. M. Gooden