Weekly Highlights
It's Coming Back Around...
Things have been pretty bleak lately— and I’m not just talking about my current lack of job prospects (hey-yo!), but something shifted post-trip as I hoped it would. Dare I say, this is the first week in a long time that I’m starting to feel like myself again. There wasn’t any one thing that added to this, but a bunch of little moments that felt like stepping stones on the right path. Here’s some of them:
Autumn in New York - There’s truly nothing better. My day started by journaling on the train to the city along the Hudson like I was a god-damn heroine in an Indie movie. The movie vibes continued by getting off the train at Union Station and immediately walking alongside a parade-route on 5th avenue, an easy check-in at my hotel, and front-row access to the tree installation at Rockefeller center. But, the true highlight of this magical day (that also happened to be 11/11), was gallivanting around the city with my filmmaker hero and friend, who I got to meet for the first time. Seriously, if you ever get a chance to spend an afternoon talking story ideas in central park with a person you’ve long admired, your life will never be the same. As if that wasn’t special enough, I also got to see my cousin in the city our Grandparents were born, and my celeb crush do standup at the Beacon. Oh, and the day ended with me eating corndogs and fries in bed while watching SNL on the TV that was being filmed across the street from my hotel. Like I said, magic!
Sunday Solidarity Brunch - The real reason I was in New York was for the solidarity event that my organization was helping to co-sponsor. It’s very surreal and wonderful to meet a group of bad-ass people who refer to you as “St. Joelle.” The day was a blur of sending electronic grocery funds, planning for the future, and yes… getting lots of hugs and taking pictures with people. My driver asked me if I was a famous person when I got into the car. It’s strange, but it also feels incredible to be known for being a good person. Plus, to see the direct impact with so many people… well, let’s just say that’s another life highlight that I will cherish forever.
My Son - As a parent, there’s good days and bad days (weeks, months…). This was a very good week. Monday he had the day off, so it was a day filled with no plans and lots of cuddles. We even managed to navigate another migraine without any big issues (mommy laid down with a cold compress for an hour and child didn’t freak out that mommy was going to die). Maybe it’s because we don’t spend that much time apart, but when we do, I always marvel at what an incredible little human he is. He’s becoming more independent and even made something on his own while I made dinner (as a single-parent, I’ve been waiting for this moment since he was 2!) I also had his parent-teacher conference and it’s always reassuring to hear your child is doing well in school. I’m a very lucky mom.
Parents.com article - A few weeks ago, an editor for parents reached out to me about writing a piece about the strike and the fund. This opportunity came at the perfect time and I’m so proud of the piece I wrote. The feedback has been incredible, and I got to do something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid (have a byline for a magazine). I basically felt like mom Carrie Bradshaw this week.
Green Envelope - With the holidays approaching and the town still getting back on its’ feet, my work with Green Envelope has been more important than ever. We were able to give 100 micro-grants in person at the event, and signed up several people to be recipients. For the first time in awhile, the paypal account was at zero and I had several people waiting to receive funds. Since both strikes are now over, I’ve been nervous that donations will dry up. But, once again I put out the bat signal, and once again, the community delivered. We’ve now raised 234k, a number that boggles my mind. I’m also very proud to report that I’ve now had every former boss of mine donate (except 2… and yes, I’m keeping receipts). I’m so proud that this continues to grow and flourish and I’m very excited about the possible direction this is headed.
Writing - In addition to the parents article, I’m back to sending queries for my novel (yay), and am in the beginning stages of writing a feature that I’m really excited about. My creativity and productivity is back and feels so good. Honestly, this is probably the piece that has most contributed to my well-being, and it’s not lost on me that almost everything else I mentioned touches on this. Writing has always been my touchstone.
Chats with Jewish and Palestinian friends - At some point I might write something about this very complicated situation that keeps me up at night and makes me cry first thing in the morning, but in the meantime I’m finding the balance of staying engaged, while also protecting my mental health. If you haven’t seen this week’s Last Week Tonight, I highly recommend it. John Oliver and his team did a fantastic job and it gave me a much-needed cathartic cry, while also giving some hope. That set the tone for the rest of the week where I’ve managed to have some really great conversations with friends in Israel, my Jewish friends in the U.S., and Palestinian friends. I’m not going to sugarcoat it: things are BAD. The hostages are still missing, Israel’s actions since the terror attack are reprehensible and hard to watch, and everyone needs to stop raining bombs and terror on each other. But, I’m also seeing a lot of people calling for, and working toward real change and peace. Maybe it’s a false hope, and I also know it’s a lot easier to feel that from my safe space in Southern California, but it’s the first glimmer of something other than terror and pain I’ve felt since 10/7.
Hope everyone had a great week! I can’t believe Thanksgiving is next week… what?!
