Each month, I trade in the usual format for something looser. A look back at what we read together, what I was personally into, and what life actually looked like on my end while I was writing to you.

I call it the Monthly Edit. Think of it as the issue where I stop being the editor and just talk to you.

Welcome to the July Edit!

Here’s what else we celebrated:

A quick trip to North Carolina, to hug my daughter and say congratulations in person.

All three of my kids were born within eight days of each other, different years. So this month wasn't one birthday, it was three: 28, 26, and 22. The birthdays don't look like they used to. No ladybug or soccer ball cakes. Nobody was home for me to make their favorite dinner. I mailed each of them a gift and a card this year. It didn't feel like enough, and it weighed on me.

But the month ended with a weekend with the dearest, sweetest, best friends I have. That kind of weekend reminds you why you hold onto certain people for decades.

Here's what happened at Bloom. while all of that was going on.

Articles you clicked on most this month

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When Motherhood Changes Shape.

She's 56, driving alone across the country and sleeping in her car. Her grown kids think she's lost it, so she wrote them a letter to explain. Read

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The Laughing Emoji.
She waited all day for her daughter to text back. When she finally did, she responded with a laughing emoji instead of the truth. Read

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My Body Knew Before I Did.

She said the words out loud before she understood them: something is changing. Then her body started proving it, one sauna session at a time. Read

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The 3 Who Stayed.

Chronic pain didn't just change her body. It emptied her contact list, except for three people who never left. Read

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Control. On Her Terms.

She thought a calmer life meant everything finally got easier. It turned out to require the strictest standards she's ever set. Read

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The Dictionary.

One of its most prolific contributors was a convicted murderer, writing from inside an asylum. That's the kind of history hiding behind one very serious book. Read

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I used to run every detail of their lives. Now I find out about the dentist appointment after it's already happened. I'm calling this what it actually is: a promotion.

Read

This bag. Because some things earn their wear and some stories are worth carrying.

Instagram posts that reminds me that I am what I love.

That's the whole ask.

There's something in it for you too.

Details below.

Questions or Inquiries?