The Third Thing

The third thing is right now.

I've written about the past--those days--more often than perhaps I need to, but it's because it keeps changing. There's always something new to add to the list of things that were, because of today. Now.

The Croque John Paul at Modern Times, and that coffee they make in big French presses all day; the Farmer's Market in St. Paul that still seems so far away but will be here again on warm Saturday mornings before we know it. A Friday evening or a Saturday morning at Spyhouse, with almond milk lattes or the most delicious iced coffee I've ever had. And of course, a Bloody Mary and a burger at The Happy Gnome, where our favorite server comments on how we're early one weekend when we show up on Friday instead of our usual Saturday.

The faux-fur blanket we sleep beneath every night, and our couch set up next to that bookshelf I love so much. The two corners of our apartment that are already filling up with wedding gifts stacked upon each other. The flowers I've been picking up at either Rainbow or Trader Joe's every week, and how perfect they look on our coffee table with a book and a cup of tea in the afternoon.

Those walks around Lake Normandale, and the morning runs I take around our neighborhood when it's nice out (or when it's raining). The sound of my tea kettle whistling away in the kitchen for me to make my coffee while I sit at my computer.

We've managed to make a home here together, even so far from everyone we know and love. It feels really good, these experiences that are not yet memories. And it's all right now.

This post is in response to the following prompt: "What is the third thing? There is you and there is writing. But you can't write about writing...You and writing must gaze out at a third thing...What is there in this world?" (From Old Friend from Far Away, page 42). If you've written a response of your own, please share it below in the comments!

P.S. Visit this post for future prompts.