Four Unexpected Ways July Expanded My World
—Share 4 Somethings July 2026

July was filled with ordinary moments but ones still worth remembering for how they grew my world a little bigger. Below are four that have stayed with me.

I’m linking with Jenn and also sharing my previous month’s One Second Everyday video.

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1. Something I Love

• FINDING MY WORD IN THE WILD

Every night I ask my husband Jeff, “Are you ready for words?” That’s our cue to play the five New York Times word games that we tackle every night: Wordle, Spelling Bee, Connections, Strands, and Crossword Puzzles (Mini and Midi).

I absolutely love that he will do this with me. I am admittedly a word nerd, and he’s not. But he’s a kind man and goes along with it. (He’s also smart, and I need his help!)

Twice lately, Connections has used my One Word—Shift—in the puzzle. In this last puzzle, though, I had no idea what one of the related answers meant: Doppler Shift. I had to look it up.

A doppler shift is the change in frequency as a source and observer move closer together or farther apart. For example, an ambulance siren sounds high-pitched coming toward you, but sounds lower-pitched after it passes you. That’s a doppler shift. (But don’t ask me to explain it.)

One more small thing learned. And in a fun way.

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2. Something Sustaining Me

• SEEING THROUGH SOMEONE ELSE’S EYES

Every three months, my daughter Jenna and I attend our local Domestic Violence Coalition as representatives of our local Moms Demand Action group. I always learn new things there—usually something that makes me very sad about what people can do to each other and also something hopeful about the beautiful attempts made by other people to help those being treated horribly.

This month, two presenters began the meeting by speaking only through sign language for a couple minutes.

As they continued on, I noticed how uncomfortable I began feeling. Were they aware that many of us couldn’t understand them? Was the whole session going to be this way?

Then an interpreter stepped in.

The exercise was intentional. For just a few moments, we all got to experience a tiny glimpse of what deaf people regularly face.

Then they told us of the additional challenges a deaf survivor of domestic violence may face when trying to communicate with police about it. I’m ashamed to say I’d never even thought of that.

They went on to share some wonderful services available in these heartbreaking situations.

The real solution, of course, would be to stop domestic violence altogether. But until then, I’m grateful for people who work in ways I’d never thought of to give survivors the support they need.

I walked out of that meeting with a little more understanding—not only because I learned new facts, but also from briefly experiencing life from another person’s perspective.

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3. Something Carrying Me Forward

• PRESERVING OUR STORIES

Forgive me for belaboring my struggle for years with my ongoing photos project. The good news is I reached another milestone this month in organizing my digital photos. I’ve now printed another year’s worth—2020—for my physical albums.

I love digital photos, but I love physical albums more, ones that I can flip through with my family. It’s important to me to make sure the stories we’ve already lived together don’t get lost on an outdated thumb drive somewhere or stay buried in the cloud on a defunct account after I’m dead.

But the bad news? It took me an entire year to finish the 2020 photos. I completed my 2019 album back in July 2025. At this pace, I’ll forever be six years behind.

So I’ve made a plan going forward. If I dedicate a little more time to this project each week instead of working on it only now and then, I just might finish both 2021 and 2022 by the end of this year, leaving me only three years behind.

Possible? Yes.
Probable? I’m not sure . . .

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4. Something I’m Making Space For

• A NEW CONVERSATION

It’s almost time for the annual Wild Goose Festival that Jeff and I have been attending since 2023. The past few months the organizers have begun announcing topics, speakers, musical artists, and other interesting items on the schedule.

This week they announced they’ll also host book club conversations during the weekend. From among the four book selections, I’m choosing to read How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith by Mariann Edgar Budde.

Budde is the Episcopal bishop in Washington, D.C., who spoke at the 2025 inaugural prayer service, asking the president “to have mercy on the people in our country who are scared now.”

I’m looking forward to reading the book and getting to discuss it with others in a month.

A good book plus a good conversation is one of my favorite ways to expand my world.

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As I was living it, I didn’t connect the dots with how my world was growing a a little larger this month through words, through empathy, through memories, and through preparing for new conversations still to come.

Nothing major. Just subtle little shifts that hopefully add up over time.

What was a highlight of your July? Share in the comments.

I’m linking at these blog parties

• ← Stop Thinking About Your One Word—Start Experiencing It
• On the Blog – July 2026 →