At the start of the season, there was a special on PBS after Downton Abbey called The Manners of Downton Abbey. For those of us borderline obsessed with the show and hungry—after nine months—for as much of the Grantham/Crawley/everyone else world as we can get, it was magical. The historical expert for the show explained life in that time—how to eat, how to dress, and how to marry. As a millennial, I do almost nothing the way the people of that era did, but I remain fascinated by the rules by which they lived.

 

You won’t be surprised, then, to learn that I did not marry for status or land. And so, clearly, I’ve had to establish my own rules for determining whether I’d married well.

 

My husband and I have a whole lot in common: our values, our faith, our love for avocados, bacon, and ice cream. But while I spend my happy time in Word, he spends his in Excel.

 

This year, at Christmas, one of the writers among his five siblings—the screenwriter, as opposed to the songwriter—gave me this lovely card:

 

and with it, a puzzle whose image was of bestselling book jackets. It was spot on, and so appreciated. But the gift was more than those two items: it was a show of encouragement, of motivation, of confidence that what I’m working on is worthwhile.

 

It wasn’t a tract of land or inherited artwork, but for me, it was proof enough that I sure did marry into the right family.

 

Who inspires you? Is there a creative person in your life who could use a burst of confidence? The little things make a big difference!