Slow Jazz Sundays - May 19
A semi-weekly Sunday pep talk to ward off the Sunday Scaries (TM)
Hi friends,
I’m coming to you from a place of wanting to find more light in the world.
This has been a hard week - one for the books, actually. It was one of those weeks where the laundry, last-minute random client needs, the milk spills, problems with the oven, and the number of times I’ve asked kids to put shoes on exponentially grew with each passing minute.
I know you’ve been there. Maybe you were in the trenches this week, too.
Once the chaos slows and I can sit with a cup of coffee and a notebook, the vortex of busy doesn’t suck me in. The quiet is my happy place. It’s the moment of deep breaths, slowness, and ease - something this extroverted introvert craves for a recharge Something that doesn’t often come with two very active, curious kids, a loving family, and a growing business.
Those rare moments of stillness now happen on Monday mornings when I block off my schedule once the kids are at school. I call it “Ease Into the Week” on my three Gmail calendars. Dave has also been giving me space on Mondays for this regrounding effort. The challenge is that I feel better once those hours are up and my week is planned, but it also feels like I’m behind the 8-ball once again with things “shoulds,” “coulds” and emails.
I long for the focused time and traditions to be back on the calendar in its original spot - Sunday afternoons. I used to have a standing date at 3 pm with a glass of wine (now, more often a Curious Elixirs bev) and my iPad to map out the week with some jazz playing in the background. It’s a balm to my nervous system as a signal of a familiar, time-tested routine - and, if I’m honest, a teensy bit of control - to help me keep the Sunday Scaries at bay.
I want to get back to that Sunday afternoon moment. I’d love for you to join me.
Enter: Slow Jazz Sundays.
This quick read will be a series on Sunday afternoons to reset for the week ahead. I’ll share links of what I’m listening to, what I’m reading, and what products I’m loving that have kept me sane the previous week. (The “Amy’s 3 Things” from the main Unscripted Substack will be switched to this missive.) We’ll keep it light and fresh each week, maybe asking a reflection question or a prompt to think about how we move throughout the coming week with more ease and joy.
Here we go…
Reflections: What brought you joy last week?
I want to say that it was Mother’s Day or celebrating Brendan’s 7th birthday, but I found some incredible joy in going to an event by myself, not knowing a soul, and listening to a fellow writer bare her innermost thoughts.
(That said, Mother’s Day and Brendan’s birthday were also very joy-filled.)
A few weeks ago, I got to see
share from her new book INSTRUCTIONS FOR TRAVELING WEST. I’m not one to dive into poetry unless the words grab me by the heartstrings from the jump, and Joy’s book did so. I first learned about it from her podcast episode on , and was so taken by the lyrical flow and the last line of her foundational poem for this work:Joy is not a trick.
I realize that saying that line alone without the context of the poem is like showing you the end destination of a vacation without the map guidance to get there. And yet, for me, that line alone is so profound. I’ve been ruminating all week about how I think sometimes the rug will be pulled out from underneath me if I experience even a morsel of joy. As if things will be s good once real joy enters the picture that I won’t be able to handle all the sweetness.
It was only fitting that she passed out temporary tattoos at her event. I’ve somehow kept this tattoo on for two weeks and it just smudged off as I typed these thoughts, the wispy silicone rolled up and flaking off my wrist.
This week, I’m relishing the idea that joy is not a trick. Join me, will you?
Amy’s 3 Favorite Things:
Must Listen: Meditations by Cory Wong and Jon Batiste is a go-to for me these days when writing and reflecting. I’ve been listening to it while building this Substack!
Must Read: INSTRUCTIONS FOR TRAVELING WEST by Joy Sullivan. I’m taking a lot of craft lessons from this work and applying it to my memoir, and I’m not even a poet!
Must See: Suffs The Musical. Rarely do I recommend something I haven’t seen in person, but I think this is a safe bet, knowing some of the producers involved. Go see this if you’re in NYC!
Take Care
If you listened to
this week, you heard a bit about my mental health journey and my current therapy work within EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). I’m so grateful for those who have shared your story with me!The question I’m letting guide this week is: how am I creating more margin for breathing room?
I hope you get some breathing room this week. Onward and upward,
