Good afternoon angels,
What has been bringing you relief lately? For me, itās been remembering that if I exhale longer than I inhale, that calms my nervous system. Itās also been taking small morning walks ā I feel annoyed at myself for being āthat personā but the science is there. Moving, even just a little bit, outdoors, with fresh air and a little sun, can do wonders for our mood. I wish our mitochondria āthe powerhouse of the cellā¢ā were powered by vibes or repeatedly watching Derry Girls episodes instead of this but here we are.
My friend Melissa once said āpeople are like plants in a garden: they need different conditions to thriveā and Iāve been thinking about that a lot lately. The quote holds personally, platonically, romantically, and professionally. What are the conditions you need to thrive? For me, like a plant, I need sunlight, but I donāt really feel like I need waterā¦ if any of you have guidance on how I can be a hydrated highness, call me. I need downtime to thrive, space to be alone. I need a good soundtrack, and delicious food. I need non-judgmental people who are honest and compassionate. What makes you grow into your full self?
On with the showā¦
Song: āIām Outta Loveā by Anastacia. In my redacted first draft, I thought this song was a global cultural reset for society but upon further research, it may have only personally impacted me. The song peaked at ninety-two on Billboardās Hot 100 in 2000, but I truly believe it was in heavy rotation on DCās radio stations (I also recall seeing her sing this on Good Morning America??). I love this song so much it has surpassed guilty pleasure status and has graduated into pure pleasure for me. Anastacia has a big voice, and in developing this song she wanted to create something like āItās Raining Menā and āI Will Surviveā āĀ a song āthat makes you move and makes you happy.ā Reader: she really did that. This song makes me move, makes me happy, makes me want to sing so hard I break a window. Itās a magic combination of nostalgia and groove that I canāt resist. Iām not entirely alone as my TikTok For You Page (no one knows me like my TikTok algorithm) has introduced me to a young woman in Berlin who impersonates her for fun in social settings, and Iām obsessed ā see exhibit A + exhibit B. Tell me if this song imprinted you in any similar fashion. Set me free!!!
Recipe: Rosewater whipped cream. This is my momās party trick. Make whipped cream as you normally would: heavy whipping cream + powdered sugar. Add in tiny amounts of rosewater - I canāt give you a measurement as my household exclusively uses the cap (no cap) to measure out rosewater. Start with 1/4 of a cap before you start mixing, and add more to taste as needed. Pair with cake, berries, or just on its own by the spoonful. Nooshe jan / Bon appetit!
Poem: This June Jordan poem is so sweet and so powerful. Where it was when I was in an intense long distance relationship, I donāt know, but Iām very grateful to have it now. Iām applying it to friends, to family, to everyone. Look at how much is conveyed in such few words! Sorcery and brilliance.
Book: Iām reading āBig Friendshipā by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman and itās bringing me smiles and a lot to think about. Friendship is a choice to invest in each other over and over again. Too often we treat friendship (and friends) like a pot of chili: good to simmer on the backburner for a while, with an occasional tending to. This book makes you want to reconsider that: we have to actively choose our friends and invest in them over and over again.
Joyful Internet Content: I resent that Substack doesnāt have embedding for TikToks because it would be over for yāall. Truly, this newsletter would be over ā no words, just TikToks. Until then, youāll get these:
Skinnamarinky dinky dink,
Roya