Blog | Tristan Kernan

Continuing on the gratitude practice of recognizing the good in the world - here's my good list for the past week.

Blossoms

It's spring in New Jersey, and that means the flowers are starting to bloom. Essex county is home to one of the largest cherry blossom populations outside of Japan, if I remember the Branch Brook Park signs correctly. While that park gets absolutely mobbed during cherry blossom season, you don't have to work hard to see the blossoms: they are just about everywhere in the area. Here's a lone cherry blossom tree I spotted at Hilltop Reservation:

After that brutal winter, it's nice to feel the warmth of springtime.

Volunteering

I volunteered at two drug and alcohol rehabs last week, speaking to over a hundred people about family and generational trauma. The response is always moving, with people regularly opening up about experiences that they've never told anyone before. I was reminded of the power of the work when a tough-looking guy stopped speaking mid-sentence and left the room to cry. The level of identification is humbling: it shows that beyond race, class, background, so many of us shared similar experiences. It's said that service to others is a pillar of a good life, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to be of service.

House plants

I picked up a few new house plants last week at a local nursery. I added money tree and tradescantia to my collection, which also includes: snake plant, monsteria, zz plant, pothos, and pepperomia. Having life in my apartment, and creatures to care for, adds light to my life.