Six bins of Christmas decorations erupted into the living room last night.
My son brought them down from storage as I whirled around the house collecting residual items of orange, brown, and yellow, making way for the red and green.
It’s a quick pivot this year, from gratitude to joy.
I have both, plus weeks of book proposal revisions that pulled ideas and stories from places I didn’t know existed inside me. But no real essay for a monthly muse-letter.
So I’ll draw on the work of others. There is so much great writing out there — I hope you’re finding inspiration and good brain food as I am, Substack algorithms notwithstanding (I’ll address inbox-overwhelm and solutions in a future post). For now, here are a few of my favorite things . . .
- The House of Belonging, a poem by David Whyte. No single writer has influenced me more than David. Earlier this year, I had the privilege to join him and others for a week-long walking tour in the Lakes District of England. It was magical (and windy). That’s me, far right.
- The Six-Word Memoir (and six-word gratitude exercise). Read some, and try it yourself! It’s fun. Mine is “Create community, especially when it’s hard.”
- Kate Bowler on caregivers, “a blessing for those who break their hearts for ours.” Three friends became widows this Fall, and several others lost loved ones too soon. Watching people show up for them again and again, and getting to help this time, was a true blessing.
- Aging Out of F*&$s: The Neuroscience of Why You Suddenly Can’t Pretend Anymore. I’m skeptical of the science, but this ode to midlife women trying to get stuff done sure resonates.
- And, of course, The Onion and McSweeney’s, my most reliable sources for quick, if groaning, laughs. (Also reliably joy-giving: my sister, Meg, who drove many hours with her family to join us for a coastal Thanksgiving in North Carolina).
I wish you cozy moments in the weeks ahead. As winter approaches and life turns quieter outside, perhaps louder inside, may you find peace and people to share it with.
