Connie here. Today we're taking a break from our usual stuff-chatter and extending an invitation, instead, to hit the pause button. We're turning the newsletter over to our friend Alexandra Elle. If you're not one of the 834k people who follow her on Instagram, let me catch you up to speed: Alex is a storyteller, poet, facilitator & wellness consultant living in the Washington, DC area, with her husband, Ryan, and three daughters. She's the author of Neon Soul and other books, and the host of the hey,girl podcast, which I popped onto last fall. Her fourth book, After the Rain, is available for pre-order here.
Self-care isn't a buzzword for Alex–it's a necessary tool for growing and maintaining self-love. A foundation for radical healing. An indispensable practice for being in right relationship with your children, your lovers, your community, your self.
Alex walks through her world so differently than I do mine—which is why I pay such close attention to her and see her as a teacher. Hers is a world of earnest-striving. Hers is forgiveness as a tool for self-preservation. Hers is an internal barometer—fine-tuned from practice—that tells her when to stop, take stock, reflect, write, rewrite, act. She's an embodiment of sincerity—one of our core values at East Fork—speaking her truth so thoughtfully and always opening the door for others to speak theirs.
Today, it's an honor to share this digital space with Alex, where she reflects on joy, ease, gratitude, grief, and cake.