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Happier with Gretchen Rubin

Little Happier: Ordinary Belongings Become Precious as They Persist—Like My Parents’ Brown Bowl

Happier with Gretchen Rubin

Gretchen Rubin / The Onward Project

Education, Health & Fitness, Self-improvement

4.713K Ratings

🗓️ 23 August 2021

⏱️ 2 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Ordinary belongings become precious as they persist. They make us feel rooted in our own existence, with the comforting feeling that “Some things will never change.” Things will change, of course—but using my parents’ brown bowl makes me feel like they won’t. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; [email protected] Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin Get the podcast show notes by email every week here: http://gretchenrubin.com/#newsletter Order a copy of Gretchen’s new book OUTER ORDER, INNER CALM here: http://outerorderinnercalmbook.com Leave a voicemail message on: 774-277-9336 For information about advertisers and promo codes, go to happiercast.com/sponsors. Happier with Gretchen Rubin is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Do The Thing, Side Hustle School, Happier in Hollywood and Everything Happens with Kate Bowler. If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

It's tough to stick with workout routines and making time to hit the gym is sometimes even harder.

0:05.0

That's why Peloton offers options that fit into your day with thousands of on-demand classes,

0:09.9

so you can work out when it's right for you. Peloton goes beyond just the bike,

0:14.0

offering classes like yoga, strength training, hit and boxing. Let Peloton help you achieve your

0:19.6

fitness goals. Try Peloton risk-free with a 30-day home trial. New members only, not available in

0:25.1

remote location, see additional terms at onepeloton.com slash home trial. I'm Gretchen Rubin and this is

0:31.9

a little happier. As I think back on my life, it's so strange to consider what sticks. What's

0:39.8

smattering of moments or facts? Do I remember from grade school or from law school? I remember in

0:46.0

college my roommate looking at some daffodils growing in a courtyard and quoting John Milton's poem

0:52.5

Lysitus and daffodilies fill their cups with tears. I remember that moment every time I look at

1:00.0

a daffodil and what objects have followed us across the years. Recently I went home to Kansas City

1:07.2

and just as I do every time I visit my parents, I use the sturdy brown mixing bowl that they've

1:12.2

owned for as long as I can remember. On this visit I held up the bowl and asked, how long have you

1:17.5

had this bowl? I feel like we've always had it. Well, my mother said thoughtfully, we got it at the

1:23.0

hall's sale after the plaza flood. So much had been ruined by water and they had a big sale and

1:28.2

we picked the bowls up there. When was that? I asked. The Brush Creek flood was in 1977,

1:34.8

said my father. I did the math. You've had that bowl for 44 years. I'm sure they bought it

1:42.4

carelessly without any notion that it might stay in their kitchen for decades. Ordinary belongings

1:49.6

become precious as they persist. They make us feel rooted in our own existence with the comforting

1:56.5

feeling that some things will never change. Things will change, of course. But pulling that brown

2:03.7

bowl off the shelf makes me feel like they won't. If you'd like to see a photograph of that old brown

2:10.8

bowl, I'll post a link in the show notes. I'm Gretchen Rubin and I hope this makes your week

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