34 Comments

I am honored to be included in your list of fellow Substackers who inspire you! Same back to you, dear friend!

Expand full comment

Happy Thanks-giving, Susan. I'm filled with gratitude today to have such a wonderful and inspiring writing community. All good wishes and goodwill, and of course, big hugs!

Expand full comment

Thanks-giving to you for the inspiration in finding joy each day.

Expand full comment

Happy Thanksgiving, friend. May your holidays be sweet and cozy. Big hugs.

Expand full comment

Joy is to be hoarded, from within.

❤️

Expand full comment

Hope your Thanksgiving was filled with joy and goodwill. Big hugs.

Expand full comment

Stephanie, thank you so much for the mention. I was inspired reading this post. Thanksgiving is a beautiful time for reflection about what we are grateful for. I am so grateful our paths crossed and that I'm reading your incredible writing, dear friend.

Expand full comment

If you could see me now, you'd see that I'm grinning. I share in your gratitude for all the reasons you state. I love reading your posts and I love learning about art, your art; and challenging myself to see more deeply than just the surface. Your paintings have taught me that all creative forms have the same goal to have the viewer or the reader captured by the feeling tone of the work. Sending big hugs and happy day after Thanksgiving.

Expand full comment

Happy Thanksgiving Stephanie, and right back at you too as a writer who continues to inspire and uplift. Much appreciation for you.❤️🙏🕊️

Expand full comment

Thank you, Camilla. May your winter times be cozy and contemplative as you move forward in your manuscript and other works. So much respect for your craft and your themes. Sending you hugs, love and goodwill.

Expand full comment

The photos really drew me in. What if everything is okay? Happy thanks-giving dear you.

Expand full comment

For me, more like, okay and not okay -- pain and joy, love and loss -- all textures of a full human experience. Happiest of thanks-giving my dear friend. Biggest of hugs to you and yours this holiday. Thinking of you.

Expand full comment

Oh Stephanie!!! So grateful for YOU!

These words were lovely to wake up to this morning—as were the images you’ve captured.

Thank you for the mention as I, in the same breath, return that generosity of spirit back to you and yours (after, that is, I keep my own ample and abundant portion received from you!).

Expand full comment

Kert, I adore your writing and the themes contained therein. Kindred spirits, we. Have a happy thanks-giving. Big hugs.

Expand full comment

A beautiful Thanksgiving to you, Stephanie. I send much gratitude for your profoundly peaceful words for our season. May they be with us all through the years.

Expand full comment

Amen to that Mary Jo! Happiest of holidays. Sending appreciation and goodwill. And warm hugs.

Expand full comment

Joy blossoms when we rest in gratitude. This is so beautiful. Gorgeous reflection thank you so much and happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

Before I forget, I saw a Netflix movie last night called Joy. You may or may not be interested. 🌹

Expand full comment

It was one of those movies that jumped up on the screen while I had Libby on my lap and I decided to watch it because her middle name is Joy. It gives me so much to think about and I thought of you and Jodi it is partly about a group of women who called themselves the Ovum club.

They gave me deeper insight and respect and grief for women who may have wanted to have a child and we’re not able to for whatever reason

Sending much love

Expand full comment

After that description, I definitely have to watch it. I'll look for it this evening. Thanks again, and sending love to you as well . . .

Expand full comment

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll check it out. Wishing you and the girls a lovely thanks-giving. Let's talk soon. Biggest of hugs, my soulful friend.

Expand full comment

Thank you Stephanie. It is what we do for one another. The little moments and the little nudges and hugs—even if they’re online and from afar.

Blessings to you on Thanksgiving. 🙏

Expand full comment

Dee, you know I'm big on hugs from afar. Sending all good wishes and goodwill. Keep sharing the song you sing -- it inspires and helps me, and so many others. And here ya go . . . big hugs!

Expand full comment

☺️

Expand full comment

Beautiful message pulling us towards joy and away from worries and despair. I am grateful for our friendship and for your thought provoking writings. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

Expand full comment

Ann, sending you so much love. I'm grateful for our friendship too. Happy thanks-giving and I hope we see each other soon. Heart-felt hugs, my friend.

Expand full comment

I hope we can meet up again, too. I just found out that one of my nursing friends from the hospital is now living and working in Boerne, Texas. I'd love to do a springtime trip one more time to Texas to see all the wildflowers. Something to consider to get away from the Ohio weather. I always found the hill country in March to be delightful.

Expand full comment

Such a beautiful and thoughtful post. Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving Stephanie.

Expand full comment

Thank you, dear Jeanne. May your thanks-giving be filled with grace. Big hugs.

Expand full comment

Joyful blessings to you, Stephanie. I loved your reminder that we must know pain in order to feel joy. To find those simple moments and recognize inspiring aspects of life is a practice you've talked about for a long time. Thank you!

Expand full comment

We are very textured human beings — capable of loss and love, joy and sorrow, and it takes all of it to grow a heart of compassion. Big hugs.

Expand full comment

Lovely photos--very grateful this morning for the opportunity to live where we can be in daily touch with the wonders of the green world. I'm looking at frost flower outside my window, along the edge of the woods. Did you know that it was used by the Chickasaw as an abortifacient?

Expand full comment

Susan, I did NOT know that about the Chickasaw. We would do well not to forget the medicine of the natural world in the form of herbs and flowers. Happy Thanks-giving!

Expand full comment

Thanks Stephanie and a Happy Thanks-giving to you. It was powerful seeing the word separated into thanks and giving and I must say, I've never thought about it that way. I will now!

Expand full comment

Jan, I only saw the word hyphenated recently, and like you, I adopted it. It underscores the meaning, don't you think? Big hugs and happy Thanks-giving!

Expand full comment