News: July 2025

The Kind of Person I Want to Be

Living What She Taught

By the time you read this, my radiant, generous, beautiful mother-in-law will have passed away.

She's one of the people I love most in this world. As I sit here trying to write this newsletter - trying to find words that will do her justice - I keep coming back to one thing:

She changed lives.

Not with lectures.
Not by being perfect.
But by how she lived.

Janet exuded warmth and positivity. She had a light around her - magnetic, grounding, kind.

She struck up conversations with strangers everywhere she went. Not to make small talk, but because she was genuinely interested in hearing their stories. She changed the trajectory of a person's day with her warmth, humor, and positivity - whether it was a fellow train passenger, another customer waiting in line at the post office, or the person who bagged her groceries.

And if she knew you were struggling, she didn't hesitate. She was the first to show up, heart wide open, eager to be of help. No agenda. Just love.

Over decades as an elementary school teacher, she did extraordinary, transformative work with kids.

So many of them remember her, years later, because she made them feel seen, valued, and capable - especially when they didn't feel that way anywhere else.

She did the same for anyone fortunate enough to cross her path.

In my work, I talk a lot about health and healing. About how to regulate your nervous system.
About self-compassion, pain relief, resilience, and how the body holds stress.

And yes, there are tools - massage, breathwork, movement, sleep, meditation.

But one of the most powerful regulators of all, one we don't talk about nearly enough, is human connection.

The truth is, love heals.
Presence heals.

I don't mean that love can cure disease - if it could, Janet would still be here.
But being around someone who radiates kindness and appreciation, who sees you without judgment and believes in your capacity to get through hard things - that changes us. It rewires us. It's medicine.

That's what she was for me.
She made me want to be better.
Kinder.
A source of light for other people, the way she was for everyone around her.

And yet - how easy it is to forget what really matters.

We get caught up in the hustle. We're constantly behind on something: work, laundry, bills, emails, sleep.

In all the busyness, it's so easy to disconnect. To become cynical. To push through the day and collapse into exhaustion at night, forgetting to check in with the people who bring us joy.

The ones who make us feel human.
The ones who matter most.

So no self-massage tips in this issue.
No pain science insights.
Just a reminder of the kind of healing that begins with love, presence, and human connection.

If there's someone in your life who brings you light, tell them.

If you've been rushing and grinding and scrolling, pause.
Reach out.
Hug someone.
Be with them. Let them talk. Listen like she did.

And if you're the one feeling lonely or lost or exhausted - know that you matter. You're not alone.

There are people in the world like Janet. Maybe you know one. And maybe you can be one.

Someone who uplifts.
Who exudes love.
Who makes this world a more interesting, creative, and joyful place to live.

That's how we take care of each other.
That's how we stay well.

That's how we fight back against the hatred, the cruelty, the fear.
Not with more rage or division.
But with presence.
With connection.
With compassion.
With acts of love.

To my beloved mother-in-law:
Thank you for showing me what it means to be a light in this world.
I will carry your love forward.
Always.
- Rachel