If you haven't answered these questions in today's letter: looking back at 2023, what’s the best gift you gave your Present or Future Self? (And if you have, you're welcome to let us know if you've got any special gifts planned for 2024!)
Wow! This is amazing, Maddie! Thank you for including me in such lovely company (yours especially). I'm sure this will encourage many to make courageous changes to have a marvelous 2024. I know it has for me. xo
I just love this so much. Especially the glass ornaments. Since my accident last week, now that I'm over the initial claustrophobia of being wired shut tighter than an exotic Florida reptile trap, I realized... Hey, I don't have to answer to anybody. I'm completely absolved of all forced holiday cheeriness... I can just do this 🤷♀️ and shuffle off to Buffalo, lol. So, this is the gift I am giving myself for 2023. Happy Christmas to me 🎁, lol.
Alisa, I'm *so* deeply sorry to hear about your accident! But way to find the bright side; forced cheeriness (especially of the holiday variety) is the WORST. So cheers to that gift, indeed!
Maddie, thanks so MUCH for your kind words. The thing about me is that I love Christmas so much, it's still so hard to hold back, but learning the shrug is turning out to be an important lesson as just the other day when I arrived home from a post-surgical jaw tightening (aka Torquemada), my landlord served me with a three-day eviction notice. He came with a 'heavy' and did the whole cop knock and all I could do was shrug 🤷♀️. It's not like I can go anywhere else??? I still have multiple post-ops with the surgeon who put my face and jaw back together. So, the shrug has many uses. It's like that battery-operated multi-screw tool you get your mom when she first gets divorced and has to put up new curtains, it averts, it avoids, I'm sure I'll discover more uses, sigh.
Echoing Lisa here—I really hope you're OK, and that things start looking up again soon. You're so right about the power of the shrug...but I'm hoping that the ever-changing nature of our lives helps whisk away these heavy struggles for you ASAP. Hang in there, Alisa ❤️
Maddie, I admire you so much for the way you pressed on in the face of loss and change and sorrow this year, and did it with grace and humor and heart. Thanks for including me in this lovely post. Next year: 24/7 Glamour! ✨ (and also making pies at pie cottage❤️)
Maddie, this piece is such a GIFT as we head into the end of the year! Definitely going to keep all these great ideas at the front of my mind as I start thinking about 2024 :)
Maddie, I am so proud of you for dealing with all the unexpected life happenings with so much grace and kindness. I hope you’re proud of YOU too!!!! Im so glad you started a Substack and we’ve been able to connect!! It turned out great for you and I know that goodness will only multiply as time passes. Your bravery that led you to lean into the unknown when I’m sure you wanted to go hide is so beautiful and inspiring. Keep fighting the good fight ❤️
I had so much fun answering these questions and it made me pause to reflect when I most likely wouldn’t have during this busy season. Thank you.
I want to sit down and savor every one of these gifts! Such a beautiful way to tangibly see how one can care for and celebrate this one precious life. Thank you for pulling this together with such grace and heart. And thank you for including me in the circle!
Thanks for inviting me to be a part of this amazing roundup. I really really love how you wrote it up and feel so inspired by the community here.
Enjoy your weeks off! And big hugs as you round the corner towards that one year grief mark. My dad passed on Christmas Eve last year so feeling that here. <3 <3
Maddie! What a wonderful compilation. Hedgehog houses, monarch butterfly layovers, daily walks, opening to color, a delve through past selves, and so much more. I'm honored to be included here and thrilled to find more writers and words offering gifts to delve into. Thank you for this.
If you haven't answered these questions in today's letter: looking back at 2023, what’s the best gift you gave your Present or Future Self? (And if you have, you're welcome to let us know if you've got any special gifts planned for 2024!)
Maddie,
What a crowd-sourced piece of positivity!
This is what it's all about...why we are here.
Thank you for all you do and share with us readers!
Wow! This is amazing, Maddie! Thank you for including me in such lovely company (yours especially). I'm sure this will encourage many to make courageous changes to have a marvelous 2024. I know it has for me. xo
Wow, absolutely beautiful and inspiring! Thank you so much for inviting me to take part on this. 🥰 LOVE IT!
I just love this so much. Especially the glass ornaments. Since my accident last week, now that I'm over the initial claustrophobia of being wired shut tighter than an exotic Florida reptile trap, I realized... Hey, I don't have to answer to anybody. I'm completely absolved of all forced holiday cheeriness... I can just do this 🤷♀️ and shuffle off to Buffalo, lol. So, this is the gift I am giving myself for 2023. Happy Christmas to me 🎁, lol.
Alisa, I'm *so* deeply sorry to hear about your accident! But way to find the bright side; forced cheeriness (especially of the holiday variety) is the WORST. So cheers to that gift, indeed!
Maddie, thanks so MUCH for your kind words. The thing about me is that I love Christmas so much, it's still so hard to hold back, but learning the shrug is turning out to be an important lesson as just the other day when I arrived home from a post-surgical jaw tightening (aka Torquemada), my landlord served me with a three-day eviction notice. He came with a 'heavy' and did the whole cop knock and all I could do was shrug 🤷♀️. It's not like I can go anywhere else??? I still have multiple post-ops with the surgeon who put my face and jaw back together. So, the shrug has many uses. It's like that battery-operated multi-screw tool you get your mom when she first gets divorced and has to put up new curtains, it averts, it avoids, I'm sure I'll discover more uses, sigh.
Echoing Lisa here—I really hope you're OK, and that things start looking up again soon. You're so right about the power of the shrug...but I'm hoping that the ever-changing nature of our lives helps whisk away these heavy struggles for you ASAP. Hang in there, Alisa ❤️
❤️ Thanks, I feel like I've already been gifted w/ a total "It's a Wonderful Life" response from people :) https://alisajones.substack.com/p/my-life-as-a-postmodern-dickens-character
A tiny silver lining amidst the storm clouds! I'm so happy to hear it. 🤗
Hoping you're okay Alisa 🤞
Thanks, Lisa. I'm trying to keep my sense of humor about it all :)
So lovely! ❤️
Maddie, I admire you so much for the way you pressed on in the face of loss and change and sorrow this year, and did it with grace and humor and heart. Thanks for including me in this lovely post. Next year: 24/7 Glamour! ✨ (and also making pies at pie cottage❤️)
And best gift I gave myself would be deciding to write a novel!
This is *such* an exciting one. I'm rooting for you!
I need the rooting!
A very generous post Maddie and congratulations on what you've achieved this year. I'm in awe of what you have done!
Maddie, this piece is such a GIFT as we head into the end of the year! Definitely going to keep all these great ideas at the front of my mind as I start thinking about 2024 :)
Carolyn, I'm so heartened to hear this! Thank you, my friend! I only wish we could ring in 2024 together like we rang in 2023. 🥰
Maddie, I am so proud of you for dealing with all the unexpected life happenings with so much grace and kindness. I hope you’re proud of YOU too!!!! Im so glad you started a Substack and we’ve been able to connect!! It turned out great for you and I know that goodness will only multiply as time passes. Your bravery that led you to lean into the unknown when I’m sure you wanted to go hide is so beautiful and inspiring. Keep fighting the good fight ❤️
I had so much fun answering these questions and it made me pause to reflect when I most likely wouldn’t have during this busy season. Thank you.
Your note brought tears to my eyes. This means more to me than you can imagine! Thank you, thank you, thank you. 🥹
I want to sit down and savor every one of these gifts! Such a beautiful way to tangibly see how one can care for and celebrate this one precious life. Thank you for pulling this together with such grace and heart. And thank you for including me in the circle!
Thanks for inviting me to be a part of this amazing roundup. I really really love how you wrote it up and feel so inspired by the community here.
Enjoy your weeks off! And big hugs as you round the corner towards that one year grief mark. My dad passed on Christmas Eve last year so feeling that here. <3 <3
Oh, Kathryn. Thank you! Big hugs right back atcha. I will absolutely be holding you and your dad in my heart on Christmas Eve. ❤️
So many great answers to your questions, and thanks for including mine!
What a wonderful round up! So much courage and beauty in these small and big changes people have made for themselves! 🙌
That means so much to hear. Thank you so much! ❤️
Maddie! What a wonderful compilation. Hedgehog houses, monarch butterfly layovers, daily walks, opening to color, a delve through past selves, and so much more. I'm honored to be included here and thrilled to find more writers and words offering gifts to delve into. Thank you for this.