Weekly Wellbeing: Magazines

The annual Magazine Drive at my daughter's school has just come to an end. I have never really been very interested in magazine subscriptions, but I have recently discovered how much I like magazines. Frequently I will stand at the checkout, bypassing even the candy, to peruse through brightly colored tomes that promise I can walk off the weight, create family-pleaser meals in under 30 minutes for under $10, or spend just one weekend to transform any room in my house. I rarely buy the magazines because I always get kind of hung up on the $3.99 - $5.99 price tag, but I always enjoy looking.

Now, I'm going to buy. Just a magazine here or a special edition there. No commitment, except to nurturing myself by allowing myself the little luxury of owning those glossy pages and reveling, if only for a moment, in the 10 minute organizational tips for spring cleaning. I love decorating magazines. I get inspired seeing 'Before' and 'After' photos. I like reading about ways to simplify my life or alphabetize my spices.

I don't need subscriptions, long-term relationships, or renewals: just occasional glimpses at what life can be like when professionally lit and staged. That's enough wellbeing for me.