Finding beauty in late winter, on purpose
What I do when the news gets heavy
We are reaching toward goodness and light. Even when the world feels heavy – especially when the world feels heavy – there are moments of startling beauty waiting for us if we choose to look. This week I found mine on a cold stone slab overlooking turquoise water, and in a children’s book I bought for no one but myself. Here’s what’s been lifting me up in late February.
👇 In today’s email:
This week’s inspiration: Opting in to beauty and kindness
Latest blog post: Understanding cortisol and stress hormones after 40
What I’m reading: What We See in the Stars by Kelsey Oseid
This Week’s Inspiration: Opting In to Beauty and Kindness
As I sit here, my tush cold on a stone slab, I hear the waves crashing beneath me. I can see the sparkles on the ocean, illuminating even the space behind my eyelids. The wind is gentle and cool, and the water laps below. Gracie, my dog, sits beside me. I strengthen my back and straighten up, lifting toward the sun, shoulders back, hoping to breathe every negative ion into every pore, washing away the residue.
I would be lying if I said we are not beleaguered. The wastewater of current news has been hard to bear, coupled with late February weather. That is why we yearn toward the light and beauty and the things that enliven us on the inside. Perhaps this week it’s art for you, or maybe it is the poetry of Rumi, Walt Whitman, or Mary Oliver — or the deep inhalations of crisp air.
In Jamestown, Rhode Island I’m loving the color of the water; it is turquoise and clear, perhaps because there are no boats spouting bilge. Everything seems cleansed and clarified by the cold air.
Where are you finding beauty? And how is it serving you?
Understanding Cortisol & Stress Hormones After 40
If you’re feeling less stress-resistant, it’s not just the times we live in. As progesterone declines in perimenopause, you lose your body’s natural calming buffer – and cortisol actually rises during the menopausal transition. So if you feel like you can’t handle what you used to handle, you haven’t become weaker. Your hormonal cushioning has literally changed. Here’s what’s really going on, and what you can do about it.
What We See in the Stars: An Illustrated Tour of the Night Sky by Kelsey Oseid
Yesterday, while at Davoll’s General Store — one of the oldest in the United States — I popped into the book section. The store, owned by authors Jenny Slate and Ben Shattuck, has without a doubt the most varied book selection within 50 miles of my house.
Slate wrote Marcel the Shell, a children’s book — and movie — and she is a mother, too. Perhaps for that reason, the children’s book selection is fabulous! I came across this book, An Illustrated Tour of the Night Sky, with its bedazzled cover of the constellations, and lamented not having a child to buy it for. But then I remembered, my inner child would be very interested in owning this book, so I bought it.
Last night I donned a pair of light pink silk pajamas — a birthday gift from my friend Debra — and tucked myself in on the sofa next to the fire with a cozy blanket and read myself this good-night story. A sheer delight.
Here’s to reaching toward the light this week, wherever you find it.
Dr. Cat 🥰
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