Dear Treat-a-Weekers,
As the famed lyrics of Led Zeppelin song go, “…it’s been a long time, been a long time, been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time.”
The times we are living through are painful and scary. I need to process and share…so here goes. Ever since October 7, I’ve been so sorrowful. I worry about the ability of people to feel for people outside of their particular identity group(s), the loss of our collective humanity, and our inclination to close down as opposed to connect. In the face of that worry, I’ve been digging into a few escapes that feel bigger than me – the beauty to be found in colorful New England fall, the love and cuddles of family members (including our cat!), and some content that helps me feel/process and deal with my current worries. So here are my recommendations:
Podcast – On Purpose with Jay Shetty “7 Steps To Transform An Anxious Mindset & How to Overcome Worry Filled Thoughts”
I have not listened to any other podcast episode by British author and life coach, Jay Shetty besides this one, but I honestly got so much out of it. This podcast gives you real, easy, tangible tips on how to reduce your worry/anxiety. It forced me to really tune into/engage my 5 senses when I need to calm my anxiety and worry. Now, when I need to relax a bit, I turn on a great song in my car, take a brisk walk, put on a scented candle, or take a shower with eucalyptus or a bath with lavender and Epsom salts. Thanks to Jay, I don’t look at my phone right before I go to bed at night anymore either. Take a listen when you ge a chance. One or more tips in this podcast just may help you sleep better at night.
Movie – Jules (Amazon Prime)
My family and I watched this touching, funny, sweet and sometimes sad movie starring Ben Kingsley and Jane Curtin tonight. Jules explores the themes of connection and loneliness through a story that follows three aging acquaintances living in suburban Pennsylvania as they discover and befriend a mute but somehow extremely empathetic alien whose space ship breaks down and falls into Ben Kingsley’s backyard. My eight-year-old son chose this particular movie for us to watch, but a good amount of its probably went over his head as it deals heavily with the themes of love, aging, friendship and the fear of not growing old gracefully. This movie is not flashy, but it had real heart. We were so glad we spent an hour and half immersed in it.
Book – Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
Celeste Ng is one of my favorite authors. She grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio (setting for her most famous novel, Little Fires Everywhere) and now lives in Cambridge, MA. This summer, she came to speak at our favorite local theater, the Coolidge, to celebrate the release of the paperback edition of her latest novel, Our Missing Hearts. My oldest daughter and I bought tickets and went to hear Celeste because I’d read her two other books, but I’d yet to read her latest. The audience was so concerned about giving away spoilers from this book that I left the whole discussion feeling like this book must be a “must read.” I finally started the book at the beginning of October and I could not help but feel I was meant to read it at this exact time. Our Missing Hearts is the story of a boy named Noah (AKA Birdie, his mother’s nickname for him) who is growing up during a very intolerant time in America due to an economic crisis purportedly stimulated by China. When the novel starts, we know Birdie’s mother is missing but we do not find out why until Birdie goes on an adventure to find her. This was a dystopian tale of what happens when times are tough, suspicions prevail, and the overarching need for order, safety and security has punishing aftereffects on particular people through no fault of their own. The book shook me and made me realize, anew, that to be our best selves and of the strongest character, to believe in and work to foster goodness and empathy any and everywhere we can, that work has been and always will be invaluable.
Until next time, friends, stay well and strong.
Very truly yours,
M
