Meredith Goldstein writes the wildly popular Love Letters column in the Boston Globe, but for much of her life, she’s viewed romantic relationships as a trap. Meredith grows up seeing the limitations of her mom’s insular life, and knows she wants more for herself. It’s only when the pandemic forces her to slow down that she realizes the beauty in giving attention to each moment, rather than always thinking about the next five things. Years after Meredith’s mom passes away, she emulates the way she lived her life, and finds that leaning into simple routines unlocks a surprising feeling of euphoria.Listen to Vanessa Hua's Meditative Story, "From dark times come new discoveries": https://listen.meditativestory.com/VanessaHuaPIOListen to "Love Letters": https://link.chtbl.com/meditativestorylovelettersIf this story resonates with you, we’d love to hear from you. Please take a moment to share your reflections by rating and reviewing Meditative Story in your podcast player. It helps other listeners find their way to show, and we’d be so grateful.Each episode of Meditative Story combines the emotional pull of first-person storytelling with immersive music and gentle mindfulness prompts. Read the transcript for this story: meditativestory.comSign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgDSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.