I love your work precisely because you aren’t consistent, because you reflect in writing the changes, adaptations, and growth in your own life. It’s refreshing and encouraging for those of us like you :)
You’re a wonderful woman Mari! “Who told you that?” Such an important question!! You wrote about so many of my favorite things on this newsletter - leaving Instagram and how nourishing it is for the soul (I don’t use it anymore either), your next book (!!!) and just mentioning Taylor Swift haha. 🫂 Write anything and I’m here to support it because I support you ⭐️
Just saw this post that said this: “If you want to write a good book, write what you don’t want others to know about you. If you want to write a great book, write about what you don’t want to know about yourself.”
I am really happy with what you write exactly because it is inconsistent. When I receive your newsletter it sometimes is about a topic I was contemplating, sometimes it is exactly what I needed, sometimes it is something new or that makes me think.
What is inconsistent in my life (or may be perceived by the outside world) is my interest in many different things. I was asked yesterday what I wanted to do for work (once I start working again after recovering from illness). And that is such a BIG question, cause it often implies one answer or end goal. Whereas there are multiple things I can see myself doing or even want to do. I am still unsure how I move forward
As always, I love reading your thoughts. And as that man basically said, we’re interested in you. Readers are interested in people and ideas. Looking forward to Taylor Swift’s death metal album! 🤣
Just pouring over the comments here, clearly your magical power is exactly what I feel while reading anything you write: we feel seen. It’s the very specific, lyrical, inside-out way you look at the universe that makes us all feel like we’ve got someone on our side, telling it like it is, asking the questions we’ve felt too afraid to utter aloud. So for that: just thank you, and please keep going, AND in any format, style, or subject matter that strikes you.
Mari, I've read a handful of Very True Things For Me in my short little life, and I save them in various ways- flagged emails, printed papers, copy/pasted quotes into a spot only phone. I come back to them like a water fountain when I'm thirsty, and this piece is going into the vaults to quench my thirst in the future! SO GOOD. Exactly what I needed to hear today and really, really REALLY needed to hear 10 years ago 🤣 thank you for writing truthfully. I don't know what I write about either ;)
Oh my god! I was having a conversation with my friend about this. One of my pet peeves is when people try to box me in any way- you are a, b or c when in reality I have so many seasons or chapters! Yes, I am interested in YOU and what you have to say. The inconsistency is so delightful but also you have a way of putting into words feelings that I have but can’t quite articulate. Maybe your writing is so delicious because it’s so human and humans are inconsistent. Thank you for being YOU
I introduced my 10-year-old daughter to Paula Abdul recently. A few days ago, I found myself singing "Opposites Attract" in the car the other day. (You know the one? Paula and the animated cat? SO ICONIC.) Anyway, I realized about halfway through that I was not singing the song as it was intended: two characters outlining their differences. Instead, I was more or less singing about my dicotomous self. "You like the movies and I like TV. I take things serious and you think I'm light. I go to bed early and I party all night....." I laughed. It definitely *doesn't* have to make sense, Mari. I'm happiest when it doesn't.
My goodness, Mari. I didn't know how much I needed this until I read it. I constantly feel guilty or ashamed of my inconsistencies (especially as a writer) but perhaps I can put those feelings down now. If even for a little while :) Thank you for the reprieve and reminder. x
As always, this hits at all the right times. I know my writing doesn’t fully make sense to anyone but me.. but I enjoy sharing it with the world, in case they need my thoughts or perspective or experience. I can relate to your writing a lot. My quirky, steam of consciousness, this is what I need to say right now is about all I have to give at the moment. You shared with me your experience- your unique perspective!- of hospitals and NICU and I remembered it when I was there with my newborn a couple weeks ago. I tried to soak up the joy and the medical team that really liked helping babies. I’m trying to embrace that now during all the middle of the night feeds and monitors we have at home. It helps to know you’re not alone though. Your writing helps me with that. It’s been a rough adjustment home. I want to say I’m always doing well, but as your post implies, all the things, the hard and beautiful and terrifying, add up to a life, they don’t have to always work out or make sense... In the wee hours of the morning I heard the birds and saw a sign of some other life at that time of day and that was enough. I really would love to connect with you more. I think written words and my writing is saving me a little right now. I love my babies (2 under 2) but it’s also a lot.
Thanks for being someone whose light shines in dark places.
Mari, your letters seem to find me (always) in exactly the moment of the soul’s indecision when I need a good word. As someone who is ending a 3.5 year stint this week in a highly emotional job and looking for a new thing, “everything” is open to me...yet nothing in my life feels linear. Thank you for inviting us to plumb those non-linear depths with curiosity. ✨
I love your work precisely because you aren’t consistent, because you reflect in writing the changes, adaptations, and growth in your own life. It’s refreshing and encouraging for those of us like you :)
You’re a wonderful woman Mari! “Who told you that?” Such an important question!! You wrote about so many of my favorite things on this newsletter - leaving Instagram and how nourishing it is for the soul (I don’t use it anymore either), your next book (!!!) and just mentioning Taylor Swift haha. 🫂 Write anything and I’m here to support it because I support you ⭐️
Just saw this post that said this: “If you want to write a good book, write what you don’t want others to know about you. If you want to write a great book, write about what you don’t want to know about yourself.”
I am really happy with what you write exactly because it is inconsistent. When I receive your newsletter it sometimes is about a topic I was contemplating, sometimes it is exactly what I needed, sometimes it is something new or that makes me think.
What is inconsistent in my life (or may be perceived by the outside world) is my interest in many different things. I was asked yesterday what I wanted to do for work (once I start working again after recovering from illness). And that is such a BIG question, cause it often implies one answer or end goal. Whereas there are multiple things I can see myself doing or even want to do. I am still unsure how I move forward
As always, I love reading your thoughts. And as that man basically said, we’re interested in you. Readers are interested in people and ideas. Looking forward to Taylor Swift’s death metal album! 🤣
So grateful for you and your voice in this world. Yes yes yes!
Just pouring over the comments here, clearly your magical power is exactly what I feel while reading anything you write: we feel seen. It’s the very specific, lyrical, inside-out way you look at the universe that makes us all feel like we’ve got someone on our side, telling it like it is, asking the questions we’ve felt too afraid to utter aloud. So for that: just thank you, and please keep going, AND in any format, style, or subject matter that strikes you.
Mari, I've read a handful of Very True Things For Me in my short little life, and I save them in various ways- flagged emails, printed papers, copy/pasted quotes into a spot only phone. I come back to them like a water fountain when I'm thirsty, and this piece is going into the vaults to quench my thirst in the future! SO GOOD. Exactly what I needed to hear today and really, really REALLY needed to hear 10 years ago 🤣 thank you for writing truthfully. I don't know what I write about either ;)
Oh my god! I was having a conversation with my friend about this. One of my pet peeves is when people try to box me in any way- you are a, b or c when in reality I have so many seasons or chapters! Yes, I am interested in YOU and what you have to say. The inconsistency is so delightful but also you have a way of putting into words feelings that I have but can’t quite articulate. Maybe your writing is so delicious because it’s so human and humans are inconsistent. Thank you for being YOU
💗”your writing is so delicious “
Loved your conversation with David!
Thanks for listening! Glad you loved it, Matt!
WOW! THANK YOU so much, Mari, for mentioning our live podcast experience together! ❤️
We love your point of view Mari 💚
I introduced my 10-year-old daughter to Paula Abdul recently. A few days ago, I found myself singing "Opposites Attract" in the car the other day. (You know the one? Paula and the animated cat? SO ICONIC.) Anyway, I realized about halfway through that I was not singing the song as it was intended: two characters outlining their differences. Instead, I was more or less singing about my dicotomous self. "You like the movies and I like TV. I take things serious and you think I'm light. I go to bed early and I party all night....." I laughed. It definitely *doesn't* have to make sense, Mari. I'm happiest when it doesn't.
My goodness, Mari. I didn't know how much I needed this until I read it. I constantly feel guilty or ashamed of my inconsistencies (especially as a writer) but perhaps I can put those feelings down now. If even for a little while :) Thank you for the reprieve and reminder. x
As always, this hits at all the right times. I know my writing doesn’t fully make sense to anyone but me.. but I enjoy sharing it with the world, in case they need my thoughts or perspective or experience. I can relate to your writing a lot. My quirky, steam of consciousness, this is what I need to say right now is about all I have to give at the moment. You shared with me your experience- your unique perspective!- of hospitals and NICU and I remembered it when I was there with my newborn a couple weeks ago. I tried to soak up the joy and the medical team that really liked helping babies. I’m trying to embrace that now during all the middle of the night feeds and monitors we have at home. It helps to know you’re not alone though. Your writing helps me with that. It’s been a rough adjustment home. I want to say I’m always doing well, but as your post implies, all the things, the hard and beautiful and terrifying, add up to a life, they don’t have to always work out or make sense... In the wee hours of the morning I heard the birds and saw a sign of some other life at that time of day and that was enough. I really would love to connect with you more. I think written words and my writing is saving me a little right now. I love my babies (2 under 2) but it’s also a lot.
Thanks for being someone whose light shines in dark places.
💗”thanks for being someone whose light shines in dark places”
Mari, your letters seem to find me (always) in exactly the moment of the soul’s indecision when I need a good word. As someone who is ending a 3.5 year stint this week in a highly emotional job and looking for a new thing, “everything” is open to me...yet nothing in my life feels linear. Thank you for inviting us to plumb those non-linear depths with curiosity. ✨