One Year of Writing: A Heart Full of Gratitude

Whew, what a year it’s been…highs, lows, and everything in between.

Photo by BoliviaInteligente on Unsplash

First, I want to thank you for being here. Whether you've been reading since my first tentative post or joined somewhere along the way, you've helped make this space what it is. Your comments, emails, and thoughtful responses have turned a solitary writing practice into a community conversation I want to keep building.

Seasons of the Soul celebrated its one year anniversary on December 18th. I'm grateful to

Jill Swenson

who first inspired me to take the plunge into Substack and giving me the nudge to begin this newsletter. It has allowed me to settle into a writing practice that was elusive after retiring three years ago. Routines in retirement are hard!

I began Seasons of the Soul to share to stories of personal growth, aging, and the stories that shape us. Over the past year, I’m grateful to

Nancy Z

and

Paula Morgan

for letting me tell their snowbird stories.

A special thanks to

Holly Starley

for sharing my Repaying a Karmic Debt story with her audience. I was able to pay it forward by collaborating with both

Sandra Butler

and

Judy Jennings

to introduce their new books that launched in 2024. Thank you Sandra and Judy for letting me share your stories and announce your book launches.

My deep gratitude to those writers of newsletters who have recommended Seasons of the Soul: Rethinking Retirement and Conscious Ageing by

Denise Taylor

, Memory, Time, History on Lake of the Woods by

Jill Swenson

, Just a Blink by

Cherie Lee

, QStack, Carer Mentor: Empathy & Inspiration by Victoria, Life In The Second Half by

Patricia Cusack

, and Tales of a Wayward Yogini by

Sue Ferrera

.

As we step into 2025, I'm excited to share a series on our Fall 2024 Nova Scotia trip. You’ll hear about The Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park in New Brunswick, where we watched the Bay of Fundy's legendary tides transform the landscape. You'll love meeting Fran, our amazing tour guide who inspired me with her mid-career change. I’ll tell the rest of the story about officiating my daughter’s wedding, recount travel tales, and share stories about elders who inspire me…fellow travelers on the path of continuous learning.

This first year of writing has been a joy, made better by all of you showing up each week and being part of this growing community.

Cheers and Happy New Year. Here's to many more stories ahead!

Until next time,
Deb

P.S. I'd love to hear what's on your mind! Drop me an email or a comment below about topics you'd like me to write about.