There was a beautiful and joyous celebration in my extended family this weekend. In that mode (and given it’s been a generally busy week), today’s newsletter will be a short, celebratory one.
And…it’s the one year anniversary of In Between!
This is my 46th newsletter on Substack, which means I posted nearly every week for an entire year. That’s an accomplishment. I’ve enjoyed planning and writing the posts, and it’s been great to interact with readers both in the comments and offline.
I’ll take a moment and pat myself on the back by sharing what a dear friend (of over 30 years) wrote in a letter recently: “Mary, your thoughts are always so beautiful. You help a lot of people. The photos…that accompany the essays are absolutely gorgeous!”
I appreciate that so deeply! As I’ve said before, the writing here comes from what I’m experiencing, thinking about, or working on. Through sharing and vulnerability, we often find connection.
***
Thinking about celebrations also reminded me of a blog post I wrote several years ago in February of 2016: “Who’s in charge of celebrations? I am. And so are you.”
It refers to the children’s picture book I’m in Charge of Celebrations written by Byrd Baylor and illustrated by Peter Parnall.
The book is about a girl who celebrates the wonders of nature in the desert where she lives. It inspires us to notice and celebrate big and little things in nature. And I think more generally, it inspires us to be mindful, to notice, to appreciate, to savor.
And there’s where I’ll close for today. Savoring beauty and joy and celebrations of all kinds! And the people with whom we share the journey!
Thanks for reading!
With gratitude,
Mary
Congrats on 1 year of In Between, Mom! :)
Congratulations on your year of posts, Mary! While I’m a new reader, I’m finding that much of what you writes resonates with me in my own in-between. Here’s to another year!