what's guiding me this winter and holiday season

a very unexpected source of inspo 🐈

Welcome to this tiny corner of the internet where an off-duty psychotherapist keeps the conversation going on how to make sense of this life thing we’re all doing. If you ever wondered what your therapist does off the clock—which, who among us hasn’t?—this is like that. Think of it as the adult equivalent of seeing your elementary school teacher at the grocery store picking out lemons. 🍋

One thing before we jump in, I show up very much as myself here. Myself first, and all my other labels are secondary. If a therapist speaking candidly feels like too much to your system, that is absolutely is OK and this may not be the best particular newsletter for you.

I had an incredibly busy week seeing clients. In fact, I haven’t seen this many clients in a week since the height of COVID. Even if people aren’t talking about the election, and many are, there is, understandably, an overall sense of unease. 

This demand has caused me to really reflect on how I’m going to respond to this moment, particularly amidst the holidays and winter.¹ Two experiences that can be particularly charged and exhausting all on their own.

As I began contemplating, I kept coming back to my cats. Stay with me…if you can.

These two–Ernie and Stan–really know how to do life. 

When they are tired, they rest. 

When the moment calls for it, they sprint and play. 

They don’t give a second thought to asserting their needs and preferences.

They love us so freely. I have yet to edit a newsletter without one of them curled up next to me—sometimes even their paws will rest precariously on the keyboard as I clack away. Stan started sleeping with our 5 year old at night and the sight of this about repaired my glitching heart this week. 

Let’s be real. Cats have the reputation of being real assholes. And they sort of are. Ours drive me nuts at times, but they also contain multitudes in a way I don’t always give them credit for. Dare I say, they may be my inspiration right now.

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learning how to winter from my cats