The Joy Underneath | Repeatedly discovering how to live, love, and write well.

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What Gives a Life Worth?
2
September 20, 2022 by Julia

When we try to assign value to a life, we are missing the point. Measurements don’t give us the answers …
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Category: Uncategorized
For All the Failing Mothers
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July 18, 2022 by Julia

Failure is part of it. The sooner you can take this fact into your daily, eternal practice of motherhood, the …
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Category: Uncategorized
Give up your gun
9
May 26, 2022 by Julia

I try not to waste my time anymore on getting mad or sad about the news. It hasn’t proven useful …
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Category: Uncategorized
Why I Decided It’s Okay to Lose Weight
2
November 3, 2021 by Julia

Wanting to lose weight didn’t have to be a moral issue, or bad for my mental health, or bad for my physical health, or a political statement, or a judgment on bodies heavier than mine. It could just be an adjustment I make for myself. That’s it. No more, no less.

Category: Body Issues & Health | Tags: 2020 mental health, alcohol dependence, american culture, attractiveness, body image, dieting, feminism, goals, good habits, identity, just try
Stepping Out of the Outrage Cycle
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August 24, 2021 by Julia

We need to believe that goodness exists, and that we all have access to it, even in this broken world, against all odds.

Category: Beliefs, Challenges, Cultivating Love, Culture, Hope, politics, social justice | Tags: 2020politics, Antiracism, bluestates, howtobeanantiracist, ibramxkendi, outrage, peace, politicaldebate, racism, redstates, righteousrage, socialmedia, tiredofpolitics
On Being a Forty-Two-Year-Old Mom When ‘Mom Jeans’ Become Ironically Cool to the Next Generation
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April 30, 2021 by Julia

Being a mom to a thirteen-year-old girl is possibly the greatest challenge to your self-esteem since you were actually thirteen. …
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Category: Culture, Emotions, Humor, Parenting, Reflection, Seasons, True Story, Uncategorized | Tags: fortysomething, getting old, mom jeans, Parenting teens
Clouds Breaking
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March 26, 2021 by Julia

A few weeks ago, I joined some online depression support groups on Facebook, out of a desire to spread out …
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Category: Beliefs, Challenges, Discouragement, Everyday Life, From a Dark Place, Hope, What It's Like | Tags: anxiety, community, depression, emotional support, happiness, hope, identity, kindness, life, mental health, mental illness, self-acceptance, self-help
Just Your Typical Pandemic Mid-Life Crisis
2
January 30, 2021 by Julia

My writing during the pandemic has been like trying to walk against a rushing river, carving out time for something …
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Category: Uncategorized | Tags: creative writing, feminism, Midlife crisis, publishing, writing
It’s All Good
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December 31, 2020 by Julia

We’ve taken three short trips since the pandemic started. They were all within a three hour drive from home, and …
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Category: Beliefs, Challenges, Cultivating Joy, Family, Hope, Parenting, Seasons, Uplifting | Tags: 2020 mental health, depression, family trips, happiness, holiday stress, mental health, new year's resolutions, travel
Fixing Christmas
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December 6, 2020 by Julia

Every year, I try to fix Christmas. I start to think it can be done by downsizing the number of …
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Category: Uncategorized | Tags: holiday stress, holidays, meaningful life, mental health, mental illness

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