actual ACTUAL self care

Two heavy links for you on a gloomy & ponderous late January morning about actual actual self care: first, this Catapult essay from Caira Conner, which excavates painful truths about living with autoimmune diseases and deferring a longtime dream of dog ownership (ugh yes there are puppy pics and they will break you).

Secondly: Katie Hawkins-Gaar’s latest edition of “My Sweet Dumb Brain,” her newsletter about grief and rebuilding life after tragedy. It’s very The Year of Magical Thinking, except sent out in near real-time installments (plus, it’s on Medium).

Whether these pieces level with you personally or just help ya zoom out to see the ~broader tapestry~, we at the Deez wish you a restorative Thursday. 😘