"Nurture your hobbies, the ones you’ve left behind. The ones you think you no longer have time for, you do. Bake a galette with the ripest strawberries. Don’t save the best for last, eat it now or you risk things spoiling. Bake the banana bread, make that jam, preserve those lemons. Soak in the abundance and love that exists through food. Share it with your lovely neighbor and your friends. Spread that love like wild blueberry preserves on toasted sourdough."
I could go on about everything in this post - and ESPECIALLY that one part which you'd shared with us in the group call that is so, so stunning. This one is the most heart-gladdening for me. I've had a resolution this week to give even just 10 minutes a day to my long abandoned hobbies, and it's so beautiful to see it's on all of our minds together!
Dear Joscelyne, this is such a profound and beautiful meditation on life, love and aliveness. I was so moved while hearing your reading of part of this piece, and now, to be able to read the full essay here feels truly special and has shifted so much more within me. It's such an honour to get to know more of the story behind this, and to be able to witness the beautiful relationship between you and your daughter through your words.
I loved seeing that your daughter is reading about bitter oranges - they have been a symbolic part of my own journey, that I hope to write about some day.
I loved what you said about not saving the best for last, because they end up spoiling before we allow ourselves to eat them (really working to embody this lesson in my life at the moment after years of experiencing the unintended outcomes of saving the best for last and watching others I love do it too).
I loved each and every one of "How do I keep going" which you've shared - I am supporting a very dear loved one through a life-changing personal crisis, and reading what you shared brought tears to my eyes, and opened up some breathing room for me to begin to imagine how I could think about introducing this idea to them in times when it's so hard to see how to keep going. Thank you so much for sharing your words and the magic of such a healing perspective on looking at life and the world!
Thank you Suyin! I feel so touched that this piece serves as an inspiration to how you’re helping your loved one move through the tough times… that’s the beauty of this Q — it brought such healing for me so I can only hope they end up finding their way as well. And I cannot wait to read your journey with bitter oranges. I myself can’t stand bitter things but I know how nourishing & essential they are. 🤍🤍🤍 thank you always for reading & your beautiful words!
Thank you so much for your kind words Joscelyne! 🥺💕 It’s a long journey ahead for which this is only the start, but I have found so much comfort in knowing how this helped to bring you healing. Thank you for sharing your story! It’s interesting how oranges (of all kinds, not just the bitter ones) have featured in my journey in different ways, including inspiring the name of my Substack. I’ve been thinking of writing about it, so glad to know you’re interested 🍊💛
I feel so privileged to have heard you read most of this piece aloud. Then, and now again, I felt so moved and enlivened. This feels like the embodiment of hope. Your writing always captures so much beauty and honesty. It makes me feel grateful to be alive 🌺
ps. I love that your daughter reads a lot of Mary Oliver, she and I have that in common 🥰
Dear Jennae: thank you for making this tiny corner of the internet feel like a safe space to write, to share, to express myself. I walk away feeling so encouraged & supported by your words. And this is prob one of the best compliments I could ever get, that this piece is the embodiment of hope!!! I mean wow!!! 🥰🥰🥰 thank you!
Oh, I also wanted to say that the way you write about motherhood is so beautiful. It makes me excited to someday be a mother. Not because you make it sound easy, but because you illustrate the enormous amount of love there is despite the fears and challenges. 🧡🌻
"Nurture your hobbies, the ones you’ve left behind. The ones you think you no longer have time for, you do. Bake a galette with the ripest strawberries. Don’t save the best for last, eat it now or you risk things spoiling. Bake the banana bread, make that jam, preserve those lemons. Soak in the abundance and love that exists through food. Share it with your lovely neighbor and your friends. Spread that love like wild blueberry preserves on toasted sourdough."
I could go on about everything in this post - and ESPECIALLY that one part which you'd shared with us in the group call that is so, so stunning. This one is the most heart-gladdening for me. I've had a resolution this week to give even just 10 minutes a day to my long abandoned hobbies, and it's so beautiful to see it's on all of our minds together!
Oooo this makes my heart so happy! Let’s pour more into ourselves if only for a few minutes 🤍 thank you for reading always 🥰
Dear Joscelyne, this is such a profound and beautiful meditation on life, love and aliveness. I was so moved while hearing your reading of part of this piece, and now, to be able to read the full essay here feels truly special and has shifted so much more within me. It's such an honour to get to know more of the story behind this, and to be able to witness the beautiful relationship between you and your daughter through your words.
I loved seeing that your daughter is reading about bitter oranges - they have been a symbolic part of my own journey, that I hope to write about some day.
I loved what you said about not saving the best for last, because they end up spoiling before we allow ourselves to eat them (really working to embody this lesson in my life at the moment after years of experiencing the unintended outcomes of saving the best for last and watching others I love do it too).
I loved each and every one of "How do I keep going" which you've shared - I am supporting a very dear loved one through a life-changing personal crisis, and reading what you shared brought tears to my eyes, and opened up some breathing room for me to begin to imagine how I could think about introducing this idea to them in times when it's so hard to see how to keep going. Thank you so much for sharing your words and the magic of such a healing perspective on looking at life and the world!
Thank you Suyin! I feel so touched that this piece serves as an inspiration to how you’re helping your loved one move through the tough times… that’s the beauty of this Q — it brought such healing for me so I can only hope they end up finding their way as well. And I cannot wait to read your journey with bitter oranges. I myself can’t stand bitter things but I know how nourishing & essential they are. 🤍🤍🤍 thank you always for reading & your beautiful words!
Thank you so much for your kind words Joscelyne! 🥺💕 It’s a long journey ahead for which this is only the start, but I have found so much comfort in knowing how this helped to bring you healing. Thank you for sharing your story! It’s interesting how oranges (of all kinds, not just the bitter ones) have featured in my journey in different ways, including inspiring the name of my Substack. I’ve been thinking of writing about it, so glad to know you’re interested 🍊💛
I feel so privileged to have heard you read most of this piece aloud. Then, and now again, I felt so moved and enlivened. This feels like the embodiment of hope. Your writing always captures so much beauty and honesty. It makes me feel grateful to be alive 🌺
ps. I love that your daughter reads a lot of Mary Oliver, she and I have that in common 🥰
Dear Jennae: thank you for making this tiny corner of the internet feel like a safe space to write, to share, to express myself. I walk away feeling so encouraged & supported by your words. And this is prob one of the best compliments I could ever get, that this piece is the embodiment of hope!!! I mean wow!!! 🥰🥰🥰 thank you!
Oh, I also wanted to say that the way you write about motherhood is so beautiful. It makes me excited to someday be a mother. Not because you make it sound easy, but because you illustrate the enormous amount of love there is despite the fears and challenges. 🧡🌻
This warms my heart so so so much!
same!!!