This Week's Joys🪻

Published 25 days ago • 1 min read

Hey there, friend.

How are you? I hope you found some space for joy this week.

Most of my joy this week came from watching the sweet hummingbirds who now frequently visit my feeder. As I mentioned in last week’s joys, my new feeder was beginning to attract some visitors. (If you missed last week’s email, you can read it HERE)

This new hummingbird interest (okay, fine- obsession) of mine led to some Googling- I learned that the only species in Maryland is the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. The males are the ones who sport that bright ruby color on their throat while the females have a grayish throat (ah, so I have females).

I also discovered that in Native American and Mexican traditions, hummingbirds are seen as symbols of joy, resilience, and healing. That a hummingbird visit is a sign to enjoy life’s simple things and take pleasure in them.

I smiled big when I read that. Pretty fitting that my newly found fascination with hummingbirds coincided with the inspiration to notice and document my weekly joys, huh? I love this kinda shit- how the Universe gives us these beautiful synchronicities as reminders of how everything is connected.

Now, on to this week’s joys:

Weeding the garden and checking on the new blooms while taking Stella out for her morning potty.

Getting my hands in the dirt- repotting some plants and introducing some new beauties.

Discovering I have at least TWO hummingbird friends (there was a bit of a skirmish at the feeder Tuesday evening).

The butterfly bush bursting with its first deep purple blooms, attracting a variety of pollinators.

The delight that came from a hummingbird settling down to feed while I was sitting on the deck. Until now, I've only been able to appreciate them from the kitchen window or from afar. They usually change their mind and fly away when they see me so close.

Yes, the hummingbirds got two spots on my list this week. I'm obsessed, remember? 😉

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🤍 Courtney

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Other Joys:

This week, I listened to this episode of We Can Do Hard Things. Live from their book tour- Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, and Amanda Doyle chat about how to stay soft and strong in a world that feels both scary and beautiful. They also discuss the complicated realities of step-parenting and forgiveness This is one of my favorite podcasts and I thought I’d share this particularly timely episode with you. EnJOY! 🎧​

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Inside each newsletter, I'll be sharing how I practically (and imperfectly) fit self-care into my real life. Like you, I don't always get it "right" (whatever that means) and I'm learning how to release the perfectionism and guilt along the way. My intention is that these newsletters give you gentle encouragement to stay rooted in your body, your values, and your vision- no matter what life throws at you.