There's Joy In The Work
What I'm writing & eating, how to help Asheville + how many past-life regression books do you think I can read?
It’s officially been a month since my last post, which is uncommon, but alas: Life. As most parents can attest, the back-to-school season is totally bonkers, which is somehow always a shock to me. (When will I learn?) There’s so much prep involved, and now that both my children are in school and daycare, we have double the to-do’s. Timely, I guess, that the most recent Parent Data newsletter by
was about whether or not parents are stressed. (Like most, I glanced at that header and was like, uh yah.)I’ve been getting into some work things that are fun and exciting (always a joy when I can use such simple, optimistic adjectives to describe my work). I’ve recently taken on columns at two different websites, covering Beauty, Wellness, and Lifestyle at The Quality Edit and Women’s Health, Parenting, and Lifestyle at CNET Voices. I’m also writing the occasional editorial piece at Yoga Journal. This work thrills me because I get to pitch topics that feel relevant to my own life.
WHAT I’M WRITING
Most recently at CNET Voices, I got to do a deep dive into biotech skin care, which is a topic I could talk about all day. I also shared the smart home devices that make my days a little less chaotic.
For The Quality Edit, a site curating the web’s best brands for discerning consumers, I have written about my all-time favorite SPF Serum and did a roundup of the best retinoid body creams as per dermatologists.
Lastly, at Yoga Journal, I got to interview my friend, Aparna Ravichander, about ways to introduce kids to yoga, and have an upcoming piece about how bad is it, really, to sit around in your sweaty workout pants? Stay tuned!
There’s lots more to come from these sites, and I hope you’ll have a peek. As corny as it may sound, I genuinely love doing this kind of editorial work. It’s different from my usual copywriting work, and I am all about variety.
When I’m not writing or drumming up new gigs, I’m pouring myself into the memoir I’m writing about grief, motherhood, mysticism, and Mississippi. I think about it constantly, but my friend
assures me it’s good to be obsessed with my project. I’m in two different writer’s groups, am putting together a proposal for pitching, and applying to a few two-week writer’s residencies in hopes that I can knock out a proper first draft away from the bustle of everyday life.WHAT I’M READING
Back in 2020, when I read Michael Newton’s Journey of Souls, I instantly related. This was the first piece of literature that explained what I had always felt to be true in my heart. There’s no way we’re all just meat sacks walking around until we expire! There must be something more to this.
I’m searching everywhere for my mother after her death—and writing a book about it—which means I am diving head first into every Afterlife, Past-Life Regression, Near Death Experience, Supernatural, Mysticism-based book I can get my hands on, like Life after Life by Raymond A. Moody Jr., M.D.; Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian L. Weiss, M.D.; and more.
I’m also knee-deep in grief memoirs like The Red of My Blood by
, Wild by (obviously), Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis.It’s all quite heavy, which can be exhausting, but that’s the season of life I’m in. Part soul searching, part book research. Eventually I’ll taper off, and when I do, I’ve got Miranda July’s All Fours waiting on my nightstand.
WHAT I’M DOING
Salads. I’m making a lot of salads. In this newsletter by Carina Wolff of
, she shares the unfortunate news of a miscarriage. She also shares this recipe for the most delicious, nourishing salad and each time I make it, I am sending this woman I’ve never met a big spirit hug.+ I have saved no less than five “crispy rice salad” recipes on Instagram, this being one of them. I’m making it today.
+ I’m also generally doing a lot of meal prep, and trying to be as thoughtful as possible when grocery shopping. We’re pretty predictable these days, slating one night for salmon, rice & broccoli; a night for tacos; a night for burgers & sweet potato fries; and so on. One other recipe on my radar, however, is this easy dumpling soup:
Helping. I’m sure you’ve seen how Asheville has been devastated by Hurricane Helene. My social media feeds are exploding with stories of locals looking for help and updates on how to assist, a few of which I’ve shared here. It’s dire in western Carolina right now—the communities there are largely without gas, electricity, water, and food, and so many people have lost their homes. We don’t know anyone in the area, but our proximity makes it easy to help, and there are so many organizations mobilizing to get necessities to the people right now. If you feel so inclined, consider donating.
Contemplating. It should come as no surprise that I’m spending a lot of time thinking about life. What we do with it, how to make the most of it, when it ends, what happens next, etc. That, in the wake of a natural disaster so close to home, makes me even more grateful for everything I have. Thankful for safety, grateful to find joy in my work, lucky to be safe and healthy, and looking for ways to spread the love. Y’all know I’m not religious, but to borrow one of my favorite phrases, a phrase I’ve heard in church all my life: Go out into the world in peace.
I love the recipes, what you’re cooking and what you’re reading! And I’m thankful your family is safe and you’re getting joy from your work! You’re joyful- love you!!
❤️