30 Comments
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Antonia Lafaye's avatar

I love this so much. Thank you. Your substack serves as such a beautiful tender and loving reminder of things my body knows but my mind tries to block out.

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Alex Elle's avatar

*hugs* this made me teary. thank you.

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Jennifer Karanian's avatar

You have such a beautiful way with words. Thank you for your light. ❤️

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Alex Elle's avatar

love. thank you so much.

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Laurilee's avatar

Beautiful words. Sacred joy! Thank you for always standing in the gap for your beautiful friend Fina, Alex. We need to always hold our sister's hand!

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Alex Elle's avatar

Amen! Thank you.

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Kim's avatar

The peach tree 🍑🥰 not something we have in my area of Canada. Two full inhales taking in those pictures this morning = joy. Thank you for sharing 🙏🏼🤍

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Nina S's avatar

The small glimmers of everyday life… thank you for acknowledging how important they are. And how it is the foundation of gratitude.

Today I’m grateful for you for radiating this light ✨✨✨

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Alex Elle's avatar

Love, love. Thank you for reading.

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Chiwishi's avatar

this one was especially sweet. It reminded me of one of my Besties and I shared it with her. So grateful for this community. More joy is necessary on this healing journey. Cheers with the matcha! 💚🫖

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Alex Elle's avatar

🩶🙏🏾 amen!

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Deborah Healey 🇬🇧's avatar

The perfect life unfolding.. A world of positivity and smiles.. Enjoying the simple daily life.. With your partner. The supportive loving person by your side sharing in your prize…Life! ❤️

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Alex Elle's avatar

🩶🙏🏾

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Karin D.B's avatar

this community is lush!

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Alex Elle's avatar

It really is! So special.

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Karin D.B's avatar

thanks to you goddess ⚡️

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Preston J Cole's avatar

What resonated with me, we can't control what happens to us but we certainly can control how we receive them.

How do we feel? How we anchor to the joys, to nature, to dismiss, if only for a second, minute, hour, day, week, or until we are prepared, matters most in how we align to an adverse set of crises.

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Alex Elle's avatar

Love. 🩶🙏🏾

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Preston J Cole's avatar

Thank you for your resonant gesture. I expect to read more from your upcoming newsletter and/or blog.

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Amy Ghost Writer's avatar

I’m not sure of her beliefs, but I hope it’s alright if I say God bless your friend.

My anchored joy? I have lit a candle, worked on a diamond art kit, and listened to audiobooks. They are like a salve to my recently divorced soul raising a teen, tween, and school aged boys. I don’t have to perfect my diamond art and instead I just enjoy leaning into those moments 💕.

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Rochelle Tritt's avatar

Amy,

Please cherish every single moment with your sons! Even the ones that want to make you rip your hair out!

Example, in 1991, Clark was 11 years old & took a can of coke, shook it up & stabbed it with a butcher’s knife on the kitchen floor cutting through the can all the way down to the linoleum floor, not to mention the coke sprayed all over the entire kitchen. We were living in Florida, where (Palmetto bugs) flying roaches came flying in at one drop spilled! An unhappy memory, but no pictures or videos!

Clark stood inside our pool enclosure & used a butcher’s knife throwing it through the screen to the yard outside to see if it would stick into the grass, not realizing that screen kept out all living things including lizards & mosquitoes! An unhappy memory, but no pictures or videos!

In April, 2021, my son, 39 years old, passed away. He was 6’2”, 230#. He died from not taking his diabetes medication. He thought he was active enough & big enough that he could fight it. But, we all know you can’t fight it. His heart gave out. He had the biggest heart for sharing & kindness. His friends expressed their gratitude of knowing him, which warmed my heart during my loss.

I wish I took more pictures, videos & recordings of his laugh. I saved a voicemail of his wishing me a Happy Mother’s Day & that he loved me. Live & love every moment you can cherish with them!

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Amy Ghost Writer's avatar

Oh my goodness! I am so sorry to hear about your loss.

I will definitely hold onto the memories. They are good kids. Hold onto your memories as well. May your son rest in peace.

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Dani Carr's avatar

When you said “Let joy be the thing that steadies you, not just the thing that excites you.” That really sticks out to me. I have done a gratitude practice for 15 years on and off of 5 things I’m grateful for daily but thinking of joy as something that steadies me puts it in a new perspective. ✨🫶

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Guna Campbell's avatar

Joy is not complicated or extraordinary. Joy is found in ordinary moments of life. It is up to us to see it and embrace it. In doing so, it becomes a tool of resilience and rebellion in a world where systems seek to dim our light.

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Gintare Cvirka's avatar

Thank you for a writing that focuses on powerful simplicity 🥰 I am this person that focuses on big goals but really the small things make life worthy and beautiful, thank you for reminder

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Gayle Beavil 🇨🇦's avatar

Yes, to "steady joy" that can "hold its own". Love those "little" (big!) moments you described. Beautiful reminder.

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Israel's avatar

Love you Alex!!🥰🪻🪷🌹🌸🌼🌺🌷xxx🩷

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Evelyn ODoherty's avatar

Incredible insight to stay anchored in what feeds us in the midst of the tumult. Thank you!

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