Phetasy News - Every Day is a Gift

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Nov 13, 2023

Greetings from the Phetaverse!

It’s my birthday this Thursday. I turn 45 years old, which is about 25 years longer than I thought I was going to live when I first entered rehab at age 19. I’m not one of those people who celebrates my birthday for a month—but I’m also not one of those people who hates my birthday because I truly do believe that cheesy mantra that “every day is a gift.”

This past year has been filled with loss. My ex-husband. My dear friend Chris. My friend Rohinee. All people who were taken in the prime of their lives. Gone suddenly and too soon. In the past I would usually spend my birthday alone in Joshua Tree, reflecting on how delicate life is and bowing my head to the perfect randomness of it all. It’s a great tragedy of being human that lost in the details of our petty grievances, our paperwork, our worries about our weight and wrinkles, the busyness of modern life—is our sense of wonder.

The Child is obsessed with all things astral, so we spend a lot of time talking about the moon and the planets and the stars. We started watching Cosmos because she is bored with watching the other documentary series that has been on repeat, Becoming You, and if anything grounds you in the mind-blowing work of genius that we get to experience firsthand—it’s those two series. Becoming You focuses on 100 children all over the world for the first five years; how we learn a sense of identity, to move, to communicate, to think, to love. It’s wild. If you haven’t seen Cosmos, it explores different scientific topics like astronomy, physics, and the history of scientific discovery. Truly mind-blowing stuff.

Through my child’s eyes I’m given a renewed sense of curiosity and magic. We are made of stardust hurtling through an expansive universe. Another trip around the sun isn’t a thing to curse. It’s a miracle.

If you’re just dying to give me a present, the best thing you can do is consider becoming a paid subscriber to this newsletter or giving the gift of “Beyond Parody” to someone else.

Either way, I’m just grateful you’re reading it.

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