29 Comments

"'That's my daughter,'" I say to myself, as quietly and reverently as if I've just seen the Andes from above for the first time."

Right now, I'm saying that quietly and reverently about you, dear daughter of mine.

This is a drink of fresh, cool water on a very hot, summer day.

Love you!

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And now I’m tearing up over here 🥹 thank you so much, Mom! Your encouragement and support always mean the world 🤍

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Beautiful writing. Shows space around the words where I can breathe. I got poor again, so hardly fly and I regretted that. Recently, I rediscovered writing and began to find perspective.

When I saw the length and format of this piece I complained inwardly, wondering if I had time for it. Now I want to share the experience.

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"Shows space around the words where I can breathe."

Niall, I just love how you put that. That isn't something I consciously set out to do with the hand-lettering and with leaving so much more white space than normal, but I love that both you and Jahzeer (who commented below you) both mentioned breathing room.

And I really appreciate you taking the time to read this full essay -- every time I'm working on a new post, I always try to make sure that what I share here is worthy of people's time and attention, both of which I know there can be a lot of demands on these days :)

Thank you again for reading, and for your kind words! 🙏

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Reading this all in one place gave me some mental/emotional breathing room that I wasn't aware that I needed. This is really something beautiful. Thanks for the perspective.

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Jahzeer, I can't thank you enough for your comment and kind words -- I'm honored and humbled that this story could give you some breathing room this week. Thank you so much for sharing that, and for taking the time to say hello 🙏

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I just now found your newsletter and I’m in love with your posts. I’m savouring them, one by one. And this one really spoke to me. This is beautiful!

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Pat, your comment made my day! It brings me so much joy to hear you're savoring the posts I've shared here so far, and I so look forward to sharing new stories with you soon :) Thank you so much for reading and being here 🤍

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Lovely

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Thank you, George!

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Beautiful illustrations and precious thoughts! Maybe we have held onto something too close or too tight. Thank you for writing this beautiful reminder.

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"Maybe we have held onto something too close or too tight." I love how you put that, Marianne. I'm so happy to hear this resonated with you, and please know how much your kind words mean 🤍

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Your work is a delight 😊🙏🏻💕

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Thank you so very much :) ✨

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Candace, I love this illustrated essay. It’s so beautiful to read. I love the hand-written style, the format and of course your illustrations. And yes, it always has to be the window seat, it doesn’t just shed light of a new day or a wall to lean your head on, but so much more.

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"It always has to be the window seat, it doesn’t just shed light of a new day or a wall to lean your head on, but so much more."

Treava, I just love how you put that -- what a beautiful way to describe the wonders of a window seat. Thank you so much for reading this and for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed it, that made my day to hear! 🤍

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This is so beautiful! What a gem to find

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Thank you so much for your kind words, Jade -- I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it! 🤍

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Powerful reflections. I think all of us can relate in one way or another. And your closing remarks offered me stillness with my journey and frustration between my current situation of employment and somehow becoming more independent. Thank you.

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Amanda, thank you so much for taking the time to share a bit about your own journey, and please know how honored I am if this story could help you find some peace and stillness this week. That is exactly why I love writing and sharing stories here -- we never know who our words will find their way to and when, do we?

Thank you again for writing, it's lovely to connect with you! 🤍

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Lovely! Thank you for taking us on this journey.

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Thank you, Julie! I'm so happy you enjoyed this story 🤍

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Beautiful!

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Thank you, Joanne!

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Wonderful. Have subscribed.

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Thank you so much! 🙏

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I'm reading this again for the second time and it brings A smile to my face and makes me so happy . I love your words and your illustrations .

I always choose a window seat .

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What a beautiful exploration of the meaning of travel and place and home and love.

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Thank you, Candace. It was beautiful.

And it made me think about the one true thing I learned from 25 years of living in, working in, and traveling to 84 countries:

No matter where you go, you will find loving, caring, empathetic, decent, give their lives to protect you, helpful, beautiful people. They come in all colours, sizes, and religions. They are not hard to find, and usually they will find you.

That’s it. The only thing I really know.

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