Friday is for dreaming about the weekend! Whether it's a big adventure or a quiet night in, I'd love to hear your plans.
Tell us: What are you most looking forward to doing this weekend?
I am looking forward to doing my hair.
57 comments
I'm just so tired. If I told you I wasn't completely broken by the neighbors upstairs, I’d be lying. I’ve finally realized it’s practically impossible to live in the same building as people who simply don't care. When your neighbor is this careless, you're forced to participate in their suffering—and it’s soul-crushing.
I remember living in a different flat downtown, and the neighbor there would neglect their dogs completely. The poor animals would poop inside for days, and the stench was unbelievable. The only safe space was inside my apartment, door shut, with a rug jammed against the bottom to block that sickening smell from crawling in. That was the only way I could keep the stink out.
As we wrap up the week, let's take a moment to count our blessings. It could be a cup of coffee, a kind word, or a beautiful sunset.
Tell us: Share one thing you're feeling grateful for today.
I'll go first: I'm grateful for all of you!
Looking for some weekend inspiration? Let's help each other out! Whether it's something to read, watch, or listen to, I want to hear your recommendations.
Tell us: What's a book, movie, or song you'd recommend for the weekend?
Share your answer in the comments below! I'm ready to update my playlist.
Every week is a chance to learn something new. It could be a random fact, a new skill, or a valuable life lesson. I'd love to hear what caught your attention!
Tell us: What’s one new thing you learned this week?
Share your answer in the comments below! Let's all learn something new.
Happy Friday! The weekend is officially here, and before we dive in, I want to play a quick game.
It's easy to focus on the challenges of the week, so let's take a moment to celebrate the wins, big or small.
Tell us: What was the best thing about your week? Share your answer in the comments below! I'm so excited to hear your good news.
My day out in Glasgow was so beautiful, and I had such a lovely time. I did have some errands to run, but I also wanted to enjoy the day. My partner was heading towards the city centre, so I joined him. After he parked in a car park, we strolled together, and I saw a wedding dress that caught my eyes before parting ways to do what we needed to do.
As I walked, I took photos of things that caught my eye along the street. The city was full of people, and I realized it was probably because one of Scotland’s big football matches was happening today. The atmosphere was lively.
One of the highlights for me was finally purchasing the paints I’ve been wanting for a while. I’ve also been longing to step back into my creative side, and this felt like a good beginning. By nature, I’m a creative person, but I haven’t really shared that part of myself here on the blog. I feel ready now to start doing so.
The day was sunny and bright, which made everything feel even better. I loved watching the buses go by, especially the open-top tourist bus. Seeing the curiosity on the faces of visitors reminded me of when I first arrived in Scotland, eager to explore every corner.
I ran a few errands along the way. I stopped at Argos to look for paint but didn’t find much variety, so I went to a specialist shop instead. The staff there were so helpful when I explained the project I had in mind, they guided me towards the right products. Just after I entered a British Heart Foundation shop, I picked up a simple straw bag at a bargain price, as well as a small torchlight to add to our adventure kit. Later, I went to another shop and found two ceramic plates I plan to use as palettes for painting. I also entered Tk Maxx and took a selfie in the mirror before entering a drugstore to buy an earring.
I can't stop thinking about this. I've tried to look at it from every angle to understand why some people behave the way they do. The human brain is incredibly complex, I know, but I just can't seem to grasp why things happen like this. This attitude, in particular, is something that really bothers me. It's an issue that affects us all in some way: some of us have to tolerate it, some of us are the ones giving this attitude, and some of us are the ones who finally decide to stop.
Why are there people who, no matter what you do for them, never seem to appreciate it? The more you do, whether they've asked you to or you're just being helpful, they make you feel foolish. They respond with a kind of silent attitude that reeks of entitlement.
I've had my share of these experiences, and I've decided to stop tolerating it. This kind of behavior can be found in any relationship, with friends, family, or spouses. But from my experience and the stories I've heard, it most often comes from family members, close friends, and loved ones. This is what truly bothers me: why do some people feel more entitled the more you help them? Why, for Christ's sake?
They never appreciate what you do for them. But the moment you stop, maybe because you no longer have the time or resources to give, they become angry. They stop reaching out. Suddenly, you're the bad guy. For them, it's all about what they can get. They don't care about the effort or sacrifice you put in; it's just take, take, take. They never give back. It's infuriating and a truly poor way to behave.
I remember a story a woman shared online about helping her family. She was single at the time and would assist her sister by dropping her kids off at school. She was working herself, but she used all her spare time to be an involved aunt. She even helped with family finances and bought her mom a car. But she noticed that the more she helped, the more her family seemed to resent her. There was no appreciation, and the worst part was the subtle, backhanded "thank yous" that made her feel so stupid. This woman did so much that it actually caused her family, and especially her sister, whose kids she helped nanny, to hate her. I could feel how hurt this woman is in that video. She said something that struck my attention. She said some people wish they were you. They wish you didn't have what you have. Instead of appreciating it, they envy it in their hearts and can't hide it for long no matter how kind you are to them.
Today, July 30th, is International Friendship Day, and it's got me thinking. I wanted to share a story about a particular friendship that started during my first year in University. I arrived somewhat reserved but totally open to making new friends. I naturally gravitated towards individuals from my own ethnic background, which led to my initial friendship with someone who appeared calm and genuinely relatable. She even had a familiar-sounding name, which just drew me closer. We attended classes together with other new students, and I genuinely considered her a friend, believing that she felt the same about me.
She even introduced me to one of my closest and longest-standing friends today. She made that important introduction. But here's where the story takes a turn: that person she introduced me to eventually became my housemate. I was living alone initially, but the landlord increased the rent, and I was searching for a new place. She mentioned that this other friend of hers was also looking for a place, and that's how I ended up living with my now closest friend.
Because we were all friends, the person who introduced us would often come over, sleep at our place, and stay with us, all the usual girl-girl things. We'd eat together and cook together, and we were truly happy with her being around. We never felt any competition with her, and I don't think she felt any with us either. At that time, I really believed it was a healthy, happy relationship.
After we finished medical school, my now closest friend gently pointed something out to me; this was about 6 years later. She said, "Do you know our friendship with this person is a bit one-sided?" I was so surprised! Then, she started listing things I had never once considered problematic. For me, it was just "how life was" or "how she was."
For instance, my closest friend and I would handle the groceries, pay for the light bills, and cover the rent. This person didn't contribute financially, and we were completely fine with that because we understood her limited cash flow from home. But my friend pointed out that whenever this person did have money, she'd go celebrate with other people, sometimes even girls who didn't truly consider her a friend. At one point, one of the girls discovered she was having something with her boyfriend, and all of her friends turned against her; they literally ganged up against her and almost devoured her. She ran back to us and we advised her again that such a lifestyle is not the best way to live. She had single guys asking her out, but somehow she preferred those with girlfriends; I can never understand why.
My friend and I always stuck by her, but it seemed she wanted to fit into a different world. Maybe she felt that we were too reserved, not "cool" enough, too focused on our studies at that time, or not ready to let go of our upbringing. We minded our business and stayed out of University drama. We weren't the flashy," "bling-bling" type of girls, which we saw she wanted to be close to or be like. We were her friends who loved her for who she was, yet she always chose to celebrate her good times with others.
There were so many other examples that I never saw as wrong. She would take cash from us for things like University workbook, needing cash in general for little things and sometimes never paid it back. I didn't really see it as an issue. I just assumed she didn't have enough at that point or had other debts or things to do. My closest friend, however, wasn't okay with how she handled things toward us being her friends and only mentioned the situation to me after we finished university. This person would buy gifts for girls she wanted to befriend but did not get us things and I never really had an issue with it despite her taking from us and I was totally ok with it and never saw it as a problem.
One summer, she was involved with another girl's boyfriend while that girlfriend was away on a summer holiday in her home country. She even got him a fancy mug and showed it to me; she could not wait to gift him the mug, and she was hopeful it might turn into a relationship, from what I perceived. I might be wrong. I told her the mug was lovely, and I really loved that it was so artistic and cute. She has excellent eyes for things, but I also warned her that a summer fling like that, hurting someone else, would only lead to heartbreak for her and issues between her and the guy's girlfriend when she returned. She didn't listen, and when the girlfriend came back, the guy stopped talking to her, and she came crying to us. She made many questionable decisions, and we were always there for her, warning her when she was wrong.
There was even a time we had a private conversation among us girls about something, and she went and told the guy she was seeing (the one whose girlfriend and her friends ganged up and confronted her). I found out about this because she used my laptop to log into Facebook. She sometimes used my laptop, and we generally didn't care about whether Facebook was logged in on it while someone else was using it. We were free, just being friends but she shared our conversation with him. She left her Facebook open, and my closest friend happened to be using my laptop when she saw a message pop up and realized this person had shared our private conversation with him. Even then, I didn't confront her. I just forgot about it and moved on. I felt she was my friend; she made a mistake and that was okay.
But knowing what I know today, I can't say she gave a damn about us. And that's fine. When my friend told me how she felt about our friendship with this person, we just ended up laughing about it; we made jokes out of it, and that's where we left it.
You might be wondering why I'm sharing all this today. It's because it's International Friendship Day. This story is a powerful reminder to cherish the truly good friends in your life. My closest friend taught me so much about boundaries and genuine connection and friendship. I used to be quite naive, always giving, always forgiving (which is good), and never questioning if I was being taken advantage of. My friend always wondered why I never had an issue with the way that friendship dynamic was, why I didn't see us being used, especially when this person would spend money on makeup for herself or gifts for others but did not really contribute to our shared living expenses. She asked me, "Why didn't you see it? Why does she only come to us when things go wrong and then celebrate her wins with others?" I truly told her I felt it was okay because I know she didn't have much. My friend then replied to me and said, What about when she did have, and she'd go celebrate with others?" or why was she not proud of us being her friend? I answered my friend by saying, "Maybe we are not as cool as people she wanted to hang out with," and we both burst into laughter. We laughed at ourselves and gave that girl 2 and ourselves 0, like in a football match, hahahaha.
Photo by Chris F
Confused About Screensavers vs. Wallpapers? You're Not Alone! Here's the Simple Difference!
Okay, confession time. Have you ever used "screensaver" and "wallpaper" as if they were the same thing? Because, hand on heart, I totally did for ages. I mean, they both live on your computer screen, right? It wasn't until "inshot it hit me last week" (you know those sudden lightbulb moments?!) that I decided to actually check. And if you're in the same boat as me, sailing on the sea of tech confusion, well, this post is for us!
It turns out, there's a pretty clear difference between a screensaver and a wallpaper, and it all comes down to their function and when they appear. Mind = blown. Let's break it down.
First Up: Your Trusty Wallpaper
Think of your wallpaper as your digital living room decor.
- What it is: A wallpaper (or as some folks call it, a desktop background) is that static image or design you see chilling on your desktop. It's just... there.
- Its Job: Purely decorative. It sets the vibe for your workspace, sitting quietly behind all your apps, files, and windows. It's like the paint on your walls – always present.
- When you see it: All the time. As long as your computer screen is awake and your desktop is visible, your wallpaper is doing its thing, looking pretty.
- Your Choice: You get to pick it. From a dreamy landscape photo, a quirky pattern, a painting, or even a picture of your pet looking adorable – it's all about personalizing your space.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)