Hello Everyone!
Last month I reached out to the premium subscribers of this newsletter and asked folks to share some “things that don’t suck.” I’ve edited the list down but included something by everyone who shared. This was so much fun to put together. I’ve read it several times and know I will keep doing so as it fills me with so much gratitude. I’m overwhelmed by the loveliness here. Thank you to everyone who shared. If you’re not yet a premium subscriber, we’d love for you to join our little community. It’s been wonderful connecting with everyone, and so inspiring to read your stunning words.
Here’s to beauty!
The relief of being understood. Someone loving you and themselves enough to challenge you to be better. A wild animal scratching itself with its hind leg. Finally getting a diagnosis after decades of being dismissed. An oversharing hair stylist. Hearing someone laugh from another room and knowing why. Pizza after sex. When someone posts that they found their lost pet. The tiny snore of someone falling asleep. New growth on a previously unhappy houseplant. Partners in crime. The garden I’m waiting to plant. Humility. Silence. Books. Boobs. A newborn baby grasping my finger. A very old dog dreaming a young dog chase scene. The first crocus blooming from a snowbank. How my dog looks at me like I mean the world to him when the world means nothing to me. Sun sparkles on water. Floating dandelion fluff. Dragonflies mating in the shape of a heart. Sniffing babies heads. Playful squirrels doing parkour around a yard. Falling backwards into snow. Spotting heart-shaped cutouts in leaves left by insects. Morning coffee on the porch with my dog. Anxieties that lead to arguments that lead to honesty that lead to tears that lead to laughing. Journals that sharpies don't bleed through. Messing up watercolor tutorials and creating awesomeness. Dogs sleeping in funny positions. The biting first sip of an ice cold Coca Cola. Having a full carton of ice cream in the freezer. The smell of honeysuckle on a summer morning, Atlanta in the spring. The silence of a gentle nighttime snowfall. Color-coded poetry books on my shelf. The moment in a Spring day where it’s warm enough to take your long sleeves off. Afternoon naps with the window open and a breeze carrying the rays of sunshine in. Meeting other queer people in a small-ish southern town. Pelicans on patrol. Sunflowers with heads bigger than mine. Finding pennies. Telescopes and zoom lenses. Fat baby thighs. Music playlists organized by life events. The perfect sleeping pillow. The family of foxes that set up their den at the top of the hill in my backyard. Being awake when everyone else is sleeping. Rings that fit a different finger. Socks without partners. Bare feet. Stoplights swaying. The curves of an overpass. Tree branch shadows. Wearing clothing that belonged to someone you love who is gone from you now. Partners who say they wish they could make everything better without realizing they already did. The view from every mountain top. The last 1/10th mile of a run. The friends who became family. My cat stalking the same shadow on the wall over and over again because he thinks it's a bug. Non binary drag performances. Polar bear dips in the pacific in the middle of January. Bunny kisses. Baking cakes. Eating. Laughing until I cry. My 15 year old niece writing to me on an Instagram post: “You’re my safe place and my home—the best human I know.” How the beanstalk curls around its growth support. Dogs that smile. Rock collections. Spontaneous lovely memories of my mother. When someone says, "I love you", and they really, really mean it. People who don't wear perfume. Ice cream for breakfast. Pancakes for dinner. My dog needing to fall asleep alone on the couch, but getting in bed with me before I wake up.
Ahh! this is just amazing. If you’d like to listen to the list, I’ve also included a video of myself reading your gorgeous words. Thank you everyone!
Love,
Andrea, Whose Head Is Smaller Than A Sunflower Head 🖤
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📣 Add to the conversation: Leave YOUR ‘things that don’t suck’ in the comments. I can't wait to read them!