November 28, 2025
When you build your day around a Thought of the Day and Question of the Day, you start noticing how the small things,like a quiet moment or a cold slice of pie, carry the real weight. Today’s pair takes us from ancient wisdom to leftover magic, and somehow, they make perfect sense together. Let’s explore why a Roman philosopher and the remains of Thanksgiving dinner might have more in common than we think.
Thought of the Day: If You Have a Garden and a Library, You Have Everything You Need. Cicero
Cicero clearly never hosted Thanksgiving, but I get where he was coming from.
A garden gives you something to tend, something that quietly rewards consistency. A library gives you something to explore, something that stretches your mind farther than your legs could carry you. Together, they offer a rhythm: grow something, learn something, repeat. It’s not a bad blueprint for a meaningful life.
But, and forgive me, Cicero, I’m adding an asterisk.
You also need your people.
Not a hundred of them. Not a stadium full. Just a small tribe who knows when you’re tired, when you’re overwhelmed, and when you need someone to hand you a fork because you’re still wrestling with the last iPad deployment at work and can’t be trusted with decisions.
There’s something grounding about knowing someone will text, “How’s it going?” even if the answer is mostly: “Glacial. Everything is appearing slowly. Send help.”
A garden grows your patience.
A library grows your mind.
Your tribe grows your heart.
That last part? Cicero should’ve engraved it on a column somewhere.
And maybe that’s the real point: you can cultivate peace, knowledge, and connection in the ordinary moments, watering a plant, rereading a favorite chapter, or sharing a laugh after a long day. Life isn’t built in grand gestures. It’s built in the quiet, the consistent, the familiar. And if you’re lucky, the shared.
For more reflections on the surprising power of simple moments, check out my earlier post on making great fortune out of misfortune.
Question of the Day: What Is Your Favorite Leftover to Eat the Day After Thanksgiving?
Let me be very clear:
There are many acceptable leftover options, but only one clear champion.
The pie.
Always the pie.
Turkey sandwiches have their charm, sure. Stuffing reheated in a pan so it gets crispy again? Not bad. Mashed potatoes you doctor up with a little butter, salt, and dignity? That’ll do.
But pie—cold, unapologetic, ready straight from the refrigerator, is undefeated.
There’s something joyful about it. On Thanksgiving Day, the pie competes with the full lineup: turkey, carbs, more carbs, greens to make us feel responsible, the occasional rogue casserole. Pie gets its fifteen minutes. But the next day? The spotlight is all hers.
Leftover pie is a victory lap.
Maybe part of the magic is the simplicity. You don’t plate pie the next morning. You don’t reheat it. You don’t even tell anyone you’re eating it. You just quietly fork into it over the sink and enjoy a moment of rebellion. It tastes like freedom. It tastes like the holiday after the holiday.
And let’s be honest: by the time Friday rolls around, you’ve earned it. You’ve cooked, cleaned, socialized, survived. Eating pie in peace isn’t just a snack. It’s self-care.
And this is where Cicero makes his comeback.
If a garden and a library are enough, then leftover pie is the dessert course of life itself. A reminder to savor what’s left after the noise quiets down. A reminder that small joys matter just as much as the big ones.
What’s your leftover champion? Do you go for turkey sandwiches, stuffing, or are you also pie people?
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