Hello Lovely Human.
I adore those words. These are the words that my friend, Heidi White, uses to begin her Substack posts. It brings to mind the peace and serenity Mr. Rogers evoked when he said, “Hello neighbor.” I don’t mean this in a childish way. I mean that the words evoke a nicer world, a kinder one. It’s a world I think most of us would love to live in. Well, when you read Heidi’s Substack you get to visit such a place.
https://heidiwhite115.substack.com/
So I recently came up with the idea of celebrating my friends. When I look around at my friend circle I see so many talented and creative people. There are musicians, writers, chefs, photographers, athletes, craftsmen and women, you name it. I’m sure if you look around you, you have a similar richness of individuals and it feels good to celebrate that. I am not always comfortable bragging about my own work, however I can quite happily brag about my friends. This week I’d like to brag about my amazing friend Heidi. She’s a fellow mom, wife, career woman, athlete and… poet. Her Substack is a place of poetry and thoughtfully taken & placed photos.
Heidi’s posts are insightful and thought provoking. She takes great joy in looking around at the world with fresh eyes, seeking a different view, a new perspective. This does not mean that all her posts will make you laugh or even smile. Some are pensive, even melancholy and I have frequently been moved to tears. Sometimes though, we need to cry. Other posts fill me with hope and do bring a smile to my face, even to my soul.
Here is a small sample of her work. It is difficult to choose just one. She is prolific and the emotion she brings to every piece is real. I chose FADE. Heidi recently lost her beloved father and watching her navigate her grieving journey through her poems has been a revelation to me. I admire her strength, to allow the world into her vulnerability, to share her love of her dad…it’s beautiful even in its tragedy.
FADE
This morning
I replay your voicemails
Re-read your texts
Clutch your blanket
Savor your cologne
Pieces of you
Left behind
I will not let you
Fade away
Nor will I let myself
– Heidi White 7/1/26
The tagline to my first book, The Dragon in the Garden, reads “find the magic beneath the mundane.” Well, Heidi has done that. Now she’s willing to share that magic with you fellow lovely humans. I hope you will follow her Substack, even become a paid subscriber (I just upgraded today). The world can be cruel, scary, unfair and many other things, but it can also be magical, even transcendent.
I will leave you with one last thing to consider. You, yes-YOU, are enough.
