Things worth sharing
What I've been reading, writing, watching, listening to, and thinking about lately — I hope you'll share too!
Hello, and welcome back to Things Worth Sharing — my roundup series. TWS is usually a monthly column, but the never-ending list in my Notes app (half of which I never end up sharing) is giving me anxiety, so I’m going to try this out weekly/bi-weekly on Saturdays to see how it goes. I’ll try to keep it to a maximum of 10 items each week (this issue has 8!).
Today, I am writing to you from an Airbnb in Luz, Portugal. I played a padel tournament this morning, with a group of retirees, and now I’m wrapped in a fuzzy blanket looking out at the Atlantic Ocean as I type this letter. K. and I are going for a spa circuit and massages in a few minutes. Life is good.
Before we get into this week’s things worth sharing, here’s a beautiful sunrise from last weekend…
1. I just finished She Wanted More by Poorna Bell and loved it! Immediately recommended it to a friend. I particularly appreciated Poorna’s honesty about sometimes questioning your purpose when you live outside of the conventional things like marriage and having kids... But also, the book covers all angles of womanhood for women in all walks of life.
2. I recently discovered these challenges from the NYT to spend 10 minutes looking at a piece of art. Relaxing! (If you can find it in yourself to focus long enough.)
3. If you’re into dark humor/comedy, please check out How To Get To Heaven From Belfast on Netflix and then let me know what you think! Here’s a nice write-up about it in The New Yorker.
4. I’m not a mom, but this caught my attention and includes some great book recs that I’ve added to my list. I think the idea of embracing mediocrity and being “good enough”, as discussed in the article, is universal, whether you’re a mom or not.
5. This article in The Atlantic titled “The Longevity Scam” had me at, “A better — and more achievable — goal would be to extend healthy longevity, adding life to years instead of years to life.” Agreed!
6. Ever since my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, I’ve wondered if I’ll be next. I’ve read various (inconclusive) studies about the impact of hormonal changes and menopause on women’s brain health, but nothing is clear. This episode of The Diary of a CEO digs deep into brain health, Alzheimer’s, and how it affects more women. I like that it explains how it’s not specifically due to the hormonal changes that come with menopause, but the symptoms of menopause that could eventually cause cognitive decline. For example, hot flashes and night sweats disrupt and fragment sleep in women, so we don’t get the rest we need to wash away Amyloid plaques in our brains. Anyway, I’m not a doctor or a scientist, so I’m not trying to give anyone advice; I just found the conversation interesting. The podcast episode also talks a lot about creatine and brain health, but I’m always a bit skeptical of these wellness trends and fads, especially when they say that EVERYONE should do it. We’re all so different. If you take creatine, please tell me more in the comments!
7. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about legacy. Like, what (if anything) do I want to leave behind? It’s been swirling around in my head for a few weeks now. I think it might have something to do with processing the loss of my mom. Sometimes I wonder if this is what draws me to writing, and why I hope to eventually publish a book. It’s something that I can leave behind. Something that could hopefully touch at least one person. Anyway, I’m looking for books on the topic… fiction, non-fiction, just not too self-helpy, so if you have any recs, please share in the comments! (Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia sounds like it could be a good one.)
8. In case you missed it, earlier this week, I published a lovely interview with Marianne Power, the author of Help Me! and Love Me!. We discussed the downsides of self-help, dating, burnout, and the relief of realizing you’re enough. Give it a read here! ;)
Ok, over to you. What’s been on your mind this week? What’s worth sharing?
See you soon,
Alexis
P.S. It would mean a lot to me if you hit the ♡ button to help others find this post. Also, if you are able to upgrade your subscription or share my work with a friend, I would be so grateful! Thank you so much.
I loved this. Thank you so much for sharing. My uncle had Alzheimer's and my Dad is his twin, he's had cognitive decline and in assisted living but is doing very well right now. Thank you for sharing your journey. I went through chemical menopause for breast cancer but - I am on other end. I absolutely took whatever I needed to sleep - bc I know I can't function without it so it was helpful to read that part. I try not to go too far into the what ifs.. in fact my oncologist told me to stay off the internet during treatment 😂
Right now we r going on a family vacation. Im very excited my kids r young adults and im blessed to have a relationship with them that they still want to be around their parents . Love your writing style! Look forward to more
I'm intrigued by the NYT 10 minute art experiment - have you read 4,000 Weeks by Oliver Burkeman? If so, you'll know what I'm referring to with his art experiment. If not, I'll tell you about it :)