Ashley Mays

Of Grass Seed and Making Good Choices

Ashley Mays — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 00:38:14 +0000

Hi! I’m Ashley Mays. The following post first appeared in my monthly newsletter, Inbox Confetti. It’s a celebration of strength, dignity, and laughter for your inbox. Subscribe to join the celebration!

We had a neighbor with a bald patch in his lawn. He bought a ton of quick-growing grass seed and dumped it over the patch. Then it rained. His grass seed washed away into our yard.

It wouldn’t have mattered if he had used seed to match the existing grass. But the new grass he had chosen was invasive. Though it grew fast, it choked out our healthy grass and died when it got warm outside. This created many bald patches in our lawn. Our neighbor chose a quick fix for his issue, but that quick fix became our years-long problem.

Sometimes the decisions we make have long-lasting consequences. Often those consequences impact us and those who are close to us. While it’s not healthy for us to own another person’s feelings or take responsibility for another’s actions, it is important that we consider how the things we do and say affect others and the world we live in.

Love always.

Author Ashley Mays writes contemporary fiction for fierce young women of faith. Her mom was a librarian, so she literally grew up surrounded by books and creativity. Want to know more? Sign up to receive Inbox Confetti, follow her on Instagram, or send her a note if you have something to share.

The post Of Grass Seed and Making Good Choices appeared first on Ashley Mays.

Of Christmas Presents and Imagining the Future

Ashley Mays — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 00:57:23 +0000

When I was a kid I asked my mom why adults never seemed to get as excited about presents the same way kids did. She said that as we grow up sometimes we discover we enjoy receiving things we can’t hold more than getting new stuff. I was shocked. I didn’t believe her.

Now as a full-fledged adult, I 100% agree with my mom. The gifts I treasure now aren’t often things that can be bought. As I grew up, I gained a new perspective.

When we’re facing a big challenge, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Just like I couldn’t imagine a day would come when I’d enjoy receiving a gift like spending time with loved ones over a gift like a new pair of rollerblades, we struggle to imagine ourselves on the victory side of our struggles. But there is hope. Just as we grow up little by little, we can take on our challenges little by little. Over time and with effort, we grow. We gain perspective and greater resilience.

Even if we can’t imagine the whats or hows of overcoming right now, there will be a day when we look back and realize how far we’ve come.

Love always.

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Of Tough Issues and Photoshop Layers

Ashley Mays — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 01:17:48 +0000

For my day job, I work with design programs like Photoshop. In these programs, we work in layers. When I first started design work, I flattened (or merged) my layers. To me, it seemed easier to manage when there was only one layer to look at.

But flattening layers isn’t always a great choice. When everything has been combined into a single layer, it’s harder to work with. It’s more difficult to go back when you’ve made a mistake. Sometimes clarity is lost.

We can be tempted to approach people, or even tough issues, the same way I used to approach my Photoshop layers: we think they’re easier to deal with if we flatten them. Forget the complexity. Ignore the nuance. Flatten it all in an attempt to make the conversation feel easier.

In reality, authentic relationships are born and true progress is made when we consider the layers.

Love always.

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