May lessons stand behind you and hope stay ahead and in between may you find the bravery to keep going 🙏

Happy Easter one and all.

Today we are reminded that those who have left our sides, never really left at all ✨

Keep looking up 🙏

I know I sent two little messages very close together via email but I just wanted to connect & let you know that you were on my mind. Thank you for always reading my words & supporting me. It means so much & like I always say, the small things are the big things in life. I am so very grateful for you.

And even though the world is chaotic on the outside, peace within is what opens the door to hope, love and faith. If you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed in this moment, I want you to know firstly, I’m always praying and you are in my prayers. Secondly you are so strong, so brave and you are doing your best and your best is always enough. And finally, darkness in this life is like the cross Jesus carried, it’s torturous and heavy but as you take each step you realise that you are stronger than you ever thought you could be and with each step comes wisdom & resilience and in time, you will look back and you will see that you are no longer the person you once were when the cross eventually lifts from your shoulder. And then you will be able to help others do the same; become a version of themselves that was unthinkable before the storm, before the cross, before the steps.

I know it’s not easy but anyone who steps under the cross and keeps going learns a lesson that those who watch will never understand. It’s in the crosses we carry, that real humanity and compassion are grown.

Onwards we go together, step by step, day by day, leaning in and looking out.

Lou x

While the world continues through its phase of chaos and confusion, the one thing that allows me to feel peace is how proud I am to be an Irish woman. No matter what powers sit in charge or what mess is being made, at the core of our island lies the natives of this land. We carry ancestral history and a lifetime of Irish culture & no matter how hard they try to take our tricolour flag from our hand, nobody will take it from us, because its value and our love for it is engraved in our hearts and soul. I love my country & I love the Irish people and together we will carry forward our history, our culture, our pride, our integrity & most importantly our innate gentleness of wanting to connect & chat to the other forever more. No amount of technology will stop an Irish mother from asking who died or who’s getting married in the village? And thank god for that. I don’t know many Irish people who are not chatters. Bring us anywhere and you won’t get far without us trying in someway to connect to anyone who catches our eye. It’s funny because even though in saying that you might instantly think Irish people are boisterous and loud but as a rule, Irish people in general are not. Irish people are distinctively quiet and humble and we like to sit in among others and find our about you, about where you have come from, find out if you’re related to someone we know or simply ask ‘have you had something to eat?’

Yes as a general imagery, often we are categorised with a Guinness in our hand and a musical instrument in the other & that concept is a fair one too. We do indeed love socialising and we do indeed love a good old session but we also love saying a few prayers, a cosy gathering on the couch drinking tea, and making sure everyone is home safe and sound. Home and the safety of our island and the people on it will forever be our number one go to. Our history has taught us that sacrifice and death were suffered for us to live in peace and there isn’t a moment that goes by that we don’t hold gratitude within for those generations gone before us, who fought for the privilege of being Irish. The privilege of being ourselves. The privilege of being safe in our homes.

Us Irish are made up of all sorts of types but there are quite a few traits that define us; we do indeed love meeting at the shop while picking up a pint of milk - more chat , we love talking about the weather and endlessly assessing how the evenings are getting longer. We love sport and particularly our local GAA clubs. We love our national squads and we never forget where we came from no matter how high in the ranks we get. We love bacon and cabbage, we love a sing song in the bar after a wedding, we love a good mass even if we say we don’t, we bless ourselves when an ambulance pass us on the road, we love 99 cones, we eat potatoes with everything, and when the sun returns we can’t wait to buy strawberries from the man with a van before we do anything else. We love to read but also we really love to write. Weite words. Write messages. Write cards. Write letters. Write poems. Write songs. Write Oscar winning speeches 😉

We enjoy the quiet more than the busy. We seek to retreat to the land even if we’re from the city, because none of us are really from the city. We are all carved from the Emerald Isle and it is that land that forever unites us even when many tried to divide us.

We are indeed the storytellers of the world, we are the lookers of the silver lining and for those of you who have travelled far and have done well, we are so proud of you but we are also proud of those who stayed behind to keep the fire lit and the kettle on.

We never lose an Irish man or woman (not really)… because we are forever connected by our hearts and our history. We believe in heaven and the process of grief is unique to us because we are a small island and we do indeed know someone who knows someone who knows someone. We really do know each other. So when when one Irish person cries, we all cry. When one Irish person does well, our heart swells with pride as one. Now maybe every country is the same, I really don’t know, but what I do know is the people I belong to, the history in which I stand in, the land in which my heart not only feels at home but holds pride in, is unique not some much in its green but that too, but in how it acts when nobody is looking, that is what really counts in this world. We are a kind, generous, chatty lot of islanders who love to travel but we really love to come home. Oh and we still no matter what the headlines tell you, we still very much offer out the hand of friendship wherever we go. We are the island of a hundred million welcomes and as I always say the kettle is on and the key is under the mat -because it is ☘️

I love my country. I love where I live. I love my Irish family and my Irish friends. We are not like everyone else and that is what makes us such a tight family- we’re kinda quirky yet quiet too. We have suffered in our past and we made a choice that it would not dictate the type of people we became, instead we let go and let god. We moved forward. We stepped out of the fire while never forgetting the flame that burned us and decided, whoever we meet on this path, we would embrace with the chat, the craic and maybe even a little bit of charm ☘️ We are a people that are blessed with landscape, and we don’t take its beauty for granted. We are a people of hurt and history, and we don’t take peace for granted. We are a people of connection and courage and we don’t take friendship of any kind for granted. Today let’s be friends and tomorrow let’s be friends again ☘️

St. Patrick’s Day is an important day in the history of my people and every day I wake with an Irish heart pumping in my chest wanted to try my best to be kind and Irish eyes to see an Irish sunrise and hopefully an irish sunset, I bless myself twice. Once for the gift of health & home and the second time for the Irish hands that fought for me to hold that very honour of being Irish. I will never forget where I came from and those who gave it to me ☘️🙏And whether I lie on a pillow in Ireland or across the world, an Irish heart is one thing that only gets stronger with time, and that is why no matter where the Irish are, they will always be together🇮🇪☘️

Happy St. Patrick’s Day one and all.

Never forget where you come from because without those who stood before us, everything would be a whole lot different and it was from the courage and the bravery that brought us from the dark into the light that today we not only can see peace but we are it ☘️🇮🇪☘️

Ps. I wrote these words on my phone before the world awakened. Written from my pillow as the sun begins to rise and the birds begin to sing, I hope you enjoy and they give you a little smile today. Thanks for reading all the way down here. You’re the best, Lou x

Pps. Keep looking up x

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Dear Substack family,

This morning our dairy herd left the darkened refuge of the farm yard sheds and returned to pastures green for the first time in about six months. As I walked out to blue skies and witnessed the dairy herd of ladies celebrate through jumps of joy their return to their natural home of the green fields, I too mentally was so relieved to see not only their return outside but also mine.

This moment was much greater than watching animals walk out to a field. This moment was deeply rooted in the feeling that I too was walking freely back out to nature as the season of winter finally closes out and spring really is in the air. It was a moment where both I and nature were totally in sync. No plan. No plot. No orchestrated process. No words. No algorithm. No opinions. Just the birds singing and the cows excitedly chewing on the fresh green dew covered grass as I felt freedom being offered to us both equally and fairly, not through an action but instead just by being in the moment. A sort of shared ancestral feeling routed in the land and the sky, where both I and the animals knew we were stepping out of the dark and into the light after holding on through harder, tougher sheltered times.

As I stood with my mam, watching the cows examine every corner of the field while clearly excited for each other to be back together ‘outside’, I turned to her and said three simple words; ‘We made it’. We both smiled and our facial expressions said it all. We had indeed made it. We had made it to a point in the farming calendar that can seem a lifetime away when the winds of winter and the cold brutal rain is bashing off your face and soul in equal measure.

The last six months have been personally very heavy for not only us but so many people we love, and if I’m honest there were moments where I wasn’t sure would we all make it to this point of freedom, of escape, of serenity and hope at all. But we did. That’s the point of this very moment. We held on. We held tight. And most importantly we never let go of each other.

It was from these three words ‘We made it’ that I felt inspired to put together a little poem and reflection which I’ve included in video format below. Within it, I also acknowledge those who did not make it. In life, we must reach for the hope but to find that hope and to be witness to it, we often must lose part of ourselves in the process. Hope does not exist from joy, peace and happiness, hope is built in the darkness of this life.

And no matter who you are, or no matter what people tell you, the obstacles you meet, the crosses you bear, the conflict that you endure, that is where hope, resilience and strength are created. Hope is not something that is handed to you, instead it is a choice you make when the odds are against you and it is in that moment that you choose not to give up; that is where hope is born.

Today, the sun is shining finally and today the cows are free. As they jumped for joy literally, I felt myself jump for joy too. The joy was not so much for the light but rather that I had survived the darkness of the season of winter. I am hoping for both you and for me, that the season of change is upon us and that lighter, brighter and better times lie ahead for us all.

Keep looking up,

I believe in you always,

Lou x

**Please drop me a comment below if you are here ;) as it is always lovely to see your names and your words and to hear how you are feeling too x

Hello dear Substack Family,

I hope life is being good to you and if by some chance, you are like myself, and things are feeling a bit wobbly at the moment, I am writing to you to remind you that “you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think” - The wisdom of Winnie The Pooh forever guides me….because of this exact phrase and I hope it helps you too.

Before I write anything else I just was to say sorry to you my dear reader and my supporter. I have been quieter than usual on here and I just want to acknowledge and take accountability of not being more in touch with you. To my paid subscribers, I thank you from the bottom of my heart that you continue to financially support me at this time and also to all my subscribers and readers here, I am equally as grateful to you for sticking with me. Together your support reminds me that my words and my purpose as a writer are not a passing fade but a lifetime vocation and sometimes on this path, we will be moved in different directions and that we must lean into the mindset that everything will be ok in the end and that in each redirection, we will eventually rise up again and we will be ‘stronger, braver and smarter’ than we were before.

Today is International Women’s Day. A very special day in so many ways and a day I’ve found a gap to write….to write to you my dear friends. And to write to you to remind you and me, how important it is to be a woman in this world and also to notice the wonderful women that are all around us. As I was writing this, I was thinking really there should be an international men’s day too, that would be the fair way to do it, maybe in time there will be. But on this day, international women’s day, I just wanted to write to say thank you, to all the women in my life that remind me that it is because of you, a very unique female tenderness exists in the world. Without women, the world would be grey, not colourful and open. For me, I don’t think the world is better because we women are in it, because it is the inclusion of men alongside women that make it great, but us women definitely bring the special unconditional love aspect to the table, the maternal us, the soft us, the gentle us. We are different to men because we carry an innate gentleness that only women possess. Men are indeed the naturally stronger sex and I’ve no problem with that at all. I actually think it’s a fair swap. They have been, for most, our physical protectors throughout history, throughout fairytales, throughout generations and that’s ok by me. I think us women bring a different strength to the table and as I said previously, it is with both men and women at the table equally, there lies the balance of humanity and the hope for peace and shared community and family. In my opinion, there can’t be one without the other and it is with both women and men united, a lot of good stuff can happen. Of course when the tipping scales leans towards giving too much power to one sex or the other, that is indeed when chaos and an uncomfortable atmosphere exists…Too much of anything or anyone never leads us to anywhere beautiful. In this moment in history, we have all witnessed the result of such an imbalance and as much as I wish for more female leaders to rise to the top, it is equally as important that the right women rise too. And I am hopeful that they will.

In this moment, I also reflect on the idea that us women on the ground are offering and shaping the way forward for the next generations of women too and we are powerful. The women in my life, my gran, my aunts, my friends who have passed on ahead of me into the next life, will forever been a guiding light of inspiration of how to live a good life and I will never forget them.

For me, the most important part of being a woman is the timeless ability to offer a soft, kind hand of friendship to each other and to anyone that needs that friendship. To hold an open heart, to withhold judgement as best I can, to build a future for the next generation that will give them resilience and opportunity in equal measure, and if opportunities are less, that they will be able to see the bigger picture and find their way through together, not apart. I want to stay loyal and true to the women gone before me in history; whether through value systems, traditions, their innate patience and strength along with their wisdom in which they not only fought for but suffered for- they are the reason I stand here so comfortably because they endured pain, bias and hard times for me to have good times

We are now the next generation who are in possession of those very sacred virtues handed on to us and it is on us, how the next generation of women are built. We can influence and we can love one another. We can love through the types of friendships we build and maintain, the kindness and generosity we offer, the depth of compassion we share and the well timed wisdom we pass on. We can love the women who come next and also the men. We must be the kind of leaders that not only do a head count to see who is on the ship but we go back for a double check to make sure everyone made it onboard. We must not prioritise who is on but more importantly who is not. We have been given the gift of a gut feeling along with a heart that knows no bounds, so it is now that we must not abandon that beautiful gift. It’s time to double down and reach outwards to each other more than ever.

This is our moment to shape the future. To take hold of the reigns of the present moment, and to share in the rising up of every woman in equal measure. Our ancestors went through hell and back to get to this space and we must never let anyone strip away our unconditional love and kindness and in doing so, it is now our duty to take care of the men too. Whether that means calling them out, or pulling them in to ask are they ok, both questions are equally important. And both need to be asked. Men are natural forward movers, while women will look around and check nothing is out of line or not in sync before taking another step. At this moment, I know there is something amiss with the world and I think we, the women of the world, need to help slow the pace of living and doing down - whether through thoughts, words or actions… so we can thenhelp counteract the chaos and the conflict that now exists in minds, bodies and souls all around the world.

We as a humanity are disjointed and lost and I know this is the moment that women were made for. We can see what’s wrong and because we are not bull headed by nature, we must lean back into our ancestral guides, and make it our mission that kindess, connection, compassion and shared community are the antidote to all this madness. We are the carriers of peace and wisdom and through our innate strength unity is not only possible but as ye women all know, once we make our mind up, nothing can stop us.

In my final words, I write to you not as a mother of children, but as a daughter and granddaughter to amazing women. I have been lucky to be a friend to women who are mothers, daughters, granddaughters, aunts, cousins, sisters and endless inspiring role models in this life. I feel so lucky to have been blessed with endless unconditional love from endless female influences. A special sort of love that can only be passed from women to women, from generation to generation. I will never take for granted how hard women fought in the past to give me the shoes I wear and the coat that keeps me warm, and I will forever be grateful for their sheer bravery. I will step forward, as best I can and keep not only their memories alive but also their virtues, their insight and foresight recognising that without them, I would not be here.

We are the women of 2026 and in this moment, we can not only see what is amiss but we can do something about it. We will not pick up guns, arms or missiles from our mouths, instead we will turn inwards to our hearts and we will bring understanding, strength and the ultimate olive branch - a peaceful heart to the table. We will reach out and be kind. We will stick together. Not fall apart.

This is our moment to turn the tables and make a difference for the next generation - to remind them that kindness always wins, even if it’s not headline news now, but in a lifetime that we may not be part of, it will be that small move of kindness that will keep the candle lighting when the storm winds blow around their homes.

It’s easy to fight but it is the true brave saviours of our time that are kind.

Be brave.

Be kind.

BE YOU

Love always,

Lou x

**A little video clip of some of the fantastic women in my life. I had about another 5000 photos to include but I would never get this substack out if I kept looking at your beautiful faces. Be sure to know you are important to me and I’m so grateful you are an influence in my life. Never change ladies, the presence of a good woman brings sense, rationality, kindness, compassion and unconditional love to the table everytime! X

Two tips for the coming year:

1. Surround yourself with women who keep you looking up 💖

2. Surround yourself with women who make women better!

Happy International Women’s Day everyone 💖

💖🫶💖

** ‘Eternal Hope’ - my new book is available to buy from Amazon (all around the world) or for Irish readers, from www.livingandlaughingwithlou.com

Thank you for reading all the way down here, you’re a little starbar do you know that?! x Yes you are x

A little walk with me as St. Brigid’s Day closes and a few thoughts to keep you looking up.

Lou x

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Before St. Brigid was recognised in any national way, I celebrated her in my own little way every year and I was very vocal that she should have a big celebration. Over a decade later, and she has her own bank holiday and is celebrated all over the world and Brigid is now on top of the list of saints & women, which she truly deserves to be.

As many of you know, it was in losing my dad in 2014, that I began my own little Lou tradition of beginning my new year on February 1st. The reason I started this little tradition was January was awful month to be grieving and I just thought to myself, I need to change the way I looked at it. By moving my new year to Feb 1st, I was lifting some of the pressure off myself…when I began my tradition, it made sense the celts had already embraced that idea around the natural world and I just felt aligned with nature and the greater world rather than mulling in with the majority….i began doing what I was doing also because it was a day I spent on my own, meeting who I met along the path but it was ultimately a day me - and spiritually the only person beside me who knew what I was doing on that particular day - was indeed St. Brigid -who was humbly & unassumingly playing her part to do good, to be good and to show kindness to others in a quiet humble way and that’s why I liked her. I felt I shared something integral & aligned with her. I felt I saw how it was possible that good work could be done quietly in the background & for me that’s the way I try to live my life too.

Of course, Brigid is now a big celebrity in many ways and I’m very happy for her because her work needs to be shared as it is then, that the opportunity presents that she can be a person who inspires others to do good too.

But as funny as I am as a person, I do love the story of the underdog. The slowly moving, the quieter personality. The one who acts more than speaks. The one who lives how they say rather than the one who does all the talking but does not live in thst same manner of words. Words are easy, it is the act that is harder to fulfil.

So as thousands & hundreds of thousands embrace St. Brigid today, I will quietly celebrate her as my friend who always showed up for me in those early years of grief. The one who saw me. And in ways I feel she knows I saw her too.

When nobody knew what me and Brigid were doing on this day, and how transformative it had been in lifting my grief even a little through the darker stages of January, I now hold such gratitude that back in 2015, I was brave enough to look for & begin this little tradition for myself. I now know many of you do the same as me, so in a way I feel I’ve helped others- to help lift the mindset of a dark winter and now see that February 1st can be a magical day for your inner hope to relight, to renew, to begin again….And see what me & Brigid were doing was simple, so very simple - we were simply showing up for each other when nobody else noticed. So as the world shows up for Brigid today, remember that she too had many many years of silent reflection and strength building when she stood quietly alone before anyone really cared for what she did. A time when people forgot her. A time when she probably felt alone. And yet she wasn’t. And important to note, I’ve no doubt this time alone, helped her become who she became. A leader of the light, a holder of hope and a friend to many.

I think it is a very good lesson to consider, who, in your life, is quietly showing up for you & maybe to notice with an awakened heart, those we need to celebrate and embrace more? Those who step into our dark and bring the light when the majority are too busy to look for us. In a time where people tell themselves that they are ‘too busy’ - a line that wrecks my head personally, we must notice those who stop and make time.

In a world that now thrives on dispensing this that and the other, I think today is the perfect moment to reflect on your life. Who and what friends show up for you and who do you show up for? Is there ways that you could show up more? Is there moments when you could be more present or maybe there is someone you need to notice more? Today is a day where one woman is celebrated & rightly so, because she is a very good inspiration & lady to look up to. In a world where inspiration and leading ladies and even men are few and far between, St. Brigid sure is a woman that led with morals, values and integrity.

Today begins my new year, Imbolg and the new Celtic awakening rise forward out of the dark. Snowdrops and daffodils. Light, hope and faith are more on the table than they were in the shadows of winter. We are now turning the corner & I can see the light. I hope you can too. Today remind yourself of all the good you do. All the people who love you. And all the people you love. And most importantly remind yourself that the strength to walk alone builds within you the hand that opens the door to others. You are the light that allows many to feel hope, love and faith. You are the light that steps courageously forward when the next step is feared by many. You are the brave, the wondrous and you are inspiring so many who feel unsure. You are you and how lucky we are to have you.

In 2026, we need you more than ever.

Keep looking up and keep being you,

Lou x

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Ps. Apologies for any errors in this piece, I just typed it up on my notes app in my bed as I woke early on this day , and I wanted to send you a little spontaneous note. A note of love from my heart to yours. Happy new year my dear friends. No matter what happens in the months ahead, I’m here with you x

The world seems to be getting louder and louder yet all I want to do is sit in the quiet.

I love the silence. I love the calm. I love absorbing the sounds of nature and for me, the best part of this world is the natural order of the seasons and how lucky we are to witness nature consistently and persistenly showing up for itself.

As many of you know, I begin my new year on February 1st. In doing this, I allow January to be January. I also allow myself to creep alongside the darker elements of winter that very much are at play, and as the animals continue to hibernate, I too am not rushing or racing anywhere.

Instead I reflect. I think. I absorb. I hold my place. I hold my thoughts. I hold my peace. I watch. I look. I listen. But my words are few compared to the rest of the year. I like to allign with the seasons and I like to move with the celtic calendar and allow myself to value being here… in this moment… in this time… in this season… in not only the world but in my own lifetime.

On February 1st, we celebrate St. Brigid in Ireland. For a decade or so, I have made February 1st and St. Brigid’s Day my somewhat opening of my new year. It was through my own real first encounter with grief, that led me to this practice. Life is hard enough in January without placing more pressure on a month that honestly, should just be a space where you pace yourself like a meditative breathe….one big deep exhale…not holding onto anything but allowing yourself to be.

In recent years, St. Brigid has been announced as our female patron saint which she truly deserves to be…She deserves to be celebrated just like St. Patrick. For me, it was not only a wise thing to do but also the right thing. Equal rights to the women and the men and therefore equanimity can be attained by that one justified act. As Feb 1st moves towards us, I hope you too can take a breathe this weekend. I hope you know that you do not need to rush or race. You do not need to be flashing and cashing. You do not need to be loud nor do you need to everywhere and anywhere.

Just like nature, you can indeed be quiet and still. You are beautiful in the silence. You are calm in the measured. You are a piece of tranquility that does not need a flashing sign nor a loud opinion. Slow and steady. Quiet and shy. Consistent and at ease. These are the traits i admire most in a person. And thankfully after many years of inner work and with a constant cross upon my my shoulder, I have now learned that I am not only the strongest version of myself, but the quietest.

I hold within me, a peace nobody can take. I hold around me a peace I can share if you do indeed wish to be at peace. But again I no longer look for approval of any kind, I was never great to look for it the first time round, but to add to that, the me that writes this letter not only does not want it, I have no interest for it. I only have eyes for beauty that lies quietly in the still of the sunsetting and I ask of you now, that if you cannot feel the sunset within you, then its time to spend more time outside looking up. More time leaning in. More time in the quiet.

It will be then, that peace will not be approved by others but instead peace will lie within. And it will be you who became peace, never looking back at who you once were, never rushing forward to see what lies ahead but instead knowing, peace is a choice you make when sitting in the silence of the sun-setting and the sky wrapping its arms around you.

Keep looking up my friend,

Lou x

A little Matt Simmons to close this letter; to encourage you to close your eyes and just breathe for three minutes….(if you can lie flat on the ground listening to this, it will offer a deeper breathe of stillness…)

If you enjoy my words, my second book ‘Eternal Hope’ is available to buy all around the world on Amazon :) Also I’d be so grateful if you might feel like subscribing to my writing home here by clicking the link below. Subscribing is free and it’s a great way for us to keep in touch :)

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Hello dear Substack family 🫶

I hope this letter finds you well and I hope my words might help lift your energy, your hope and your head :)

I’m sending you a photo and a little video which is down below, of some snowdrops from Ollie’s garden to help you to keep going. I know life is very hard for many at this time. There is a lot of worries, a lot of stress, a lot of sickness and a lot of darkness troubling people individually as well as collectively.

The world is a mess.

People who should be doing good for all, are doing damage to many. I don’t just mean in leadership, I mean on the ground too. People in services who are meant to be taking care of people are harming them. People who should be keeping hope alive and active, are regularly taking hope away from many - whether in the health system, the justice system, the political system, along with our family and friend systems. It really is a very testing and strange time to be alive.

We are in a moment in which we technically ‘have’ everything we could ever imagine having, and yet we have found ourselves losing the most important part of humanity - the reach out, the love, the kindness, the quiet, the balance of give and take….Humans now prefer to fight among opinion, rather than agree peacefully. We have lost sight of what is really important. I feel what has damaged us most is that we now have too much money, too much choice, too much everything really. My father god rest him used to say, too much of anything is bad for the soul, and I believe this is the consequence of that statement, and we are now living in a kind of hell of having ‘too much’.

Nowadays the good people of our world - and I’m talking to YOU, my dear reader… you are being tested on so many levels… you are without a second thought, being pushed to your limit in areas of your life you never thought possible… you are being bullied towards the final inch of sanity by people you thought were meant to be on your side and with every last fibre in your body, your soul & your heart, you are being asked to hold on. This is my reminder to you, that you must hold on. You can hold on. And you will hold on. 🙏 Because you are the reason, you are the final hand of kindness that exists and you are the reason kindess is still in the game…. You are that hand -you must not lose grip no matter how many people try to force kindess away from you….You are holding the last light of hope in this darkened world and this is your calling. Those who are strong- and I’m talking to you again….must not become the enemy while being pushed by the enemy. The enemy right now is angry, is loud, is aggressive, is full of words, is judgemental, is divisive, finds faults with everyone else while never looking within…and in this moment we need to be the opposite of that.

We need to be the snowdrops in the midst of heavy rains & wild winds. We need to be soft and still. We must push back the darkness with quiet and calm. We must hold onto the sacred, fragile and still tenderness of the lighter side of this world, of our hearts and not be swooped up in ‘having my opionion or having a right to this, that or the other’. We do not need to be loud. We do not need to shout. We do not need to fight fear with fear or make people pick sides. At this moment, we must not let darkness, fear or chaos enter our souls or our being as I really feel this is the turning point of humanity choosing division rather than peace. Chaos and carnage dominate the headlines as well as our homes…. If we become chaos, all we are then doing is adding to the dark, not strengthening the light. In this breathe, we must believe that the faith of your inner belief system that good will prevail in the end is indeed what will happen.

Yes this work - this presence of stillness and calmness does not happen from a press of a button or a tap of a phone, no it only happens, when those who stand in the storm, in the wild rains of heaven, that right in this moment, we choose to remain strong and brave, quiet and reflective, listeners rather than speakers, thinkers rather than pointers, that we stay and face the storm and we do not panic, we do not run, we do not hide, we stay on course, a course of freedom that can only be held within yourself. That freedom within is what brings peace to the table, not war. We must be the peacemakers….and in this moment, we must be the peace holders too. As I’ve shared before, I believe peace is quiet, not loud. Still and silent, compassionate to all sides, while focused on uniting not dividing.

This last week in Ireland has been a weather week like no other, we have had terrible depressing rain. So much rain. So much grey. In fairness the weather has been decent to us up to now, but the last week has really done some making up rain wise compared to the drier periods of the early parts of January. It’s kind of strange really, because it’s like the weather is in sync with the people right now. Anyone I’ve spoken to of recent is feeling the pressure, the heaviness, the hardness of life push against them in this moment whilst the rain thunders down at their window.

I often think that maybe the weather and more so the sky- is trying to comfort us in matching how we are feeling, to let us know, it too feels pain and maybe that it is trying to tell us that it sees us in our pain. I don’t think there is a better analogy than the sky & its seasons of change, that could explain more deeply I often feel - whether in joy nor suffering. It’s why I’ve always written & spoken and spent so much time looking up at it. It gives me comfort even when I am in pain. It gives me hope just to know it is always with me, whether on good days or bad. I definitely think the weather recently is in sync with so many people right now. We are indeed against the odds and that is why I wanted you to focus on the beautiful wild flower - the snowdrop - in this letter as well as reflecting on the sky and its wonders.

We are indeed just beyond the darkest part of the season of winter right now. The light is now working its way back to us as we head towards February 1st. As many of you know, I begin my new year on St. Brigid’s Day - the Celtic celebration of our now national female patron saint. The reason I picked the snowdrop as the flower of this piece is because against all odds, snowdrops show up. They don’t hide or give up. Instead in the midst of every reason not to rise their heads from the soil, they remind us to push through the hard & shine. The snowdrops remind me that even in the toughest and roughest of weather, they do not give up. They do indeed allow their heads to drop (for me that is a symbol of accepting down times to be part of our process) but they continue to stand tall and remain an active symbol of hope & strength even while the storms of winter batter them harshly. For me snowdrops are the bravest of all our wildflowers and they provide an eternal hope within the storm to never give up. They are the leaders and the light of this moment in 2026 & in looking at the snowdrops they can give us strength and it is in that strength you must be inspired to do the same.

You must be a snowdrop in this moment.

You must accept & allow yourself to feel deflated, low and even to look & feel down but you must not give up.

Against all odds, and against the very intense waves of division and judgement for the other that now exists in this life, we, the people who believe, live & share the good, must stay strong & not give up. We must continue to care for each other & in that we must sacrifice an easy way forward in choosing ourselves alone and instead take the path less travelled in joining together our needs while equally taken care of others…. Sacrifice for the other reminds you that giving yourself away is what this journey is about. Peace within yourself can never be taken by someone else, but it can be shared.

A policy of mine is to live day to day, hour to hour, and to hold tight onto prayer, my friends, my loved ones and to try remind myself that in each test, a lesson to learn is there for me.

In 2026, we need to remain brave & compassionate, to be alert to an awful lot of people who have not worked on their inner selves and the fact is they are projecting nine times out of ten the parts that are missing within themselves, and that we, the people who often are tested, can and will come through these hard times by staying true to the light. We just need to lean in. Look up. And keep going. Just like the snowdrop, and as you might notice from the picture, snowdrops are not flowers who sit alone but instead they stick together. We too must stick together. We must be snowdrops right now - wild friends who stay close will be rewarded when the door of spring opens.

For now, be a snowdrop my dear friend. Hold your ground. Allow for pain and suffering to travel through & by you. But don’t let it stop within you.

And then remind yourself how beautiful you are because you never gave up. You are indeed the shining light the world needs right now, and that is why you are here. And that is why we love you.

I see you.

I believe in you.

And I promise, everything will be ok in the end.

Keep looking up,

Lou x

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If you are new to my writing home or have just found me, thank you for reading my words. My name is Louise Coghlan - Lou - and I am an Irish writer who tries her best to help spread hope, healing and light through my creative homes. If you enjoy my words, you might also enjoy my newest book ‘Eternal Hope’ which is out now. It can be ordered from Amazon all around the world and also can be purchased directly from myself if you live in Ireland or the UK from www.livingandlaughingwithlou.com. Thank you for your support and for being here.

Not one reason I love where I live but a million 🫶☝️

Not one reason I keep looking up but a million 💕🫶☘️🇮🇪🧚💖☝️

Keep looking up Substack family x

The new release from one of my spotify favourites Marc Scibilia 💖

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To all the Monday’s that lie ahead, may we remain grateful and blessed to see another as each of them arrive and we begin again and again and again….

And just before I leave this short letter, I want to celebrate a huge Irish win that took place last night in LA - Our own sweetest Irish darling - Jessie Buckley took the top award for Best Female Actress at the Critics Choice Awards and we are all so proud of her!! Here’s her authentic heartfelt speech for you to enjoy…I’m so proud she’s one of our own. Jessie and Paul Mescal together - so proud of them both!

Lou x

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There were lots of dark tough moments in 2025 but no matter those shadows, I held on tight to the light 🙏

Never give up.

Keep looking for the light.

Keep being you.

Keep going.

You’re doing your best & your best is always enough.

Le grá mór,

Lou x

Good morning one and all 🙏
Happy Christmas Eve Substack Family…I just want to send you all my good wishes & hope you have a really peaceful Christmas. The main thing to concentrate on today and tomorrow is who is here, who you see & who is in your heart. The ones we love in heaven are with us too. They are witnessing our pain but wanting us to enjoy Christmas as best we can with who we have in our lives. And when I say who we have, I don’t mean on this day, I mean the people who care about us all year round.

Sometimes we forget that Christmas is meant to be a reminder for us to look for our blessings - to look towards those we love, to remind us of the great fortune we have our health, the blessing it is to have a roof over our heads, to have food on our tables - and ultimately to remind us to be grateful.

Sometimes we get caught up in the rushing & racing never stopping to take a breathe & to truly embrace the magic of being alive, to be loved and to be here - that is what Christmas is really about. Christmas needs to be nothing more than an awareness exercise of looking around & reflecting on the year that’s been - noticing what and who we have because to have those things - we have everything. And those might seem like small things in this passing moment but they are indeed the big things 🙏🎄💖🙏

To those we miss in heaven, there is no way of changing that part of our hearts. We loved them today and we will always miss them. They made us who we are, they contributed to our happiness, our bravery, our belief systems, our joy as well as our memories. There will never be a day, an hour or a season that we don’t miss them. But they would want nothing less than peace and happiness for us each day & especially at this time of the year in whatever shape that comes…so to hold and become aware of that peace is very important in this moment. It is the season of winter, the season of reflection, of quiet, of stillness, of hibernation and in this moment, it is so important to stop and take stock. For me, this is what Christmas is all about and it helps me love and respect it even more for that aspect than any other. Gratitude is the aim of the game for me, no matter how tricky things get at this time of the year.

So in this moment, we will stop and pause. Stop and reflect. Stop and look up. It is because we have people we love in Heaven that we can and will ask them to give us strength to continue each day making the most of it even when our hearts are broken. Those gone ahead of us, remind us that we never know who will not be here next Christmas & that is a very important mindset to keep. It could be me. It could be you. Each Christmas it is a blessing to be alive, a blessing to be well & a blessing to know we are loved and to share that love in whatever way we feel and can. Keep loving each other Substack family. Keep leaning in for strength & keep looking up for hope.

Merry Christmas & I will pray for you all in every way I can over the next few days to keep you strong, resilient & beautiful because that is what you are.

You are strong.

You are resilient.

And you are beautiful.

All my love always and thank you for being you,
Lou xx

P.S. The photo i included up top is one I took especially for you - thanks for helping me smile in so many ways 💖 It’s a bit blurry & that’s why I love it - real, raw and imperfect like myself…Even though so much darkness has passed through my heart & my life this year, I will never let go of my light 🫶🧚🫶

*Thank you to all who are subscribed to my writing, all who bought ‘Eternal Hope’ and all who have paid subscriptions on Substack - I cannot tell you how grateful I am to each and everyone of you. A special mention to Mary Kay Wall who recently purchased a years subscription to my words and also my book and lives in the beautiful Chicago. To each of my Substack supporters and family, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Also I wish to thank my Monday Meet Up Zoom family who are the best of friends I could evr wish for x
Eternal Hope is available to purchase from Amazon all around the world now too.

Noticing those who show up when you publish a new book is quite life affirming & eye opening in equal measure. You see the friends who really care about you, you see the ones who pre order & can’t wait to read your words, the ones who buy it, the ones who don’t & also the ones who send messages to say they are with you every step of the way & actually are with you every step of the way. I’m 42 & it took until this moment for me to see my life more clearly, to understand better that some are standing in the wings while others are right up there front and center. I cannot be a brilliant friend to all but I have always tried my best throughout my life to support who I can & in anyway I can. That part I give myself credit. I am not perfect but I am a trier as best I can…Whilst lately I’ve been carrying a cross of my own, and have somehow still managed to write my second book, I’ve been blessed with moments of great clarity on looking at my own life in a broader sense. In among the chaos, I’ve caught moments of stillness that have allowed for me to access a helicopter type view of my own path & who’s on it with me.

It’s through the release of my second book ‘Eternal Hope’, that I feel a greater maturity within me as both a writer, a friend & also a human, along with a wisdom that I never expected to find. It has humbled me while affirmed me in my choices. This book has given me the confidence to know that who is for you, will be with you. And those who are not here, that’s ok too. Not everyone is your cup of tea, not really, whilst others can be travelling a moment in their life that they cannot look beyond their path, or that their path has them wrapped in a moment, and for now that is where they need or want to be.

Eitherways, thinking about who is not with you brings less wisdom, than embracing who is with you - I guess that’s what I’m learning. At my launch, I checked my phone, I looked around, and I saw who had made the effort to be with me. To those of my inner circle who simply couldn’t be there I totally understood as they would be with me in every other step forward & they have been 💖

An empty chair beside me on the stage represented those who I love but who are now in heaven. I know for these, if they could have been with me, they would have been there & in many ways they were 🙏

In deeper reflection, those who had missed the moment or simply had not showed up in my life of late, were indeed somewhere else by choice & that’s ok because we cannot be everywhere for everyone & that choice is human. But I guess whilst my heart felt a slight dent in itself, I also became widely awake to those who put their arms around me on that day & everyday since. To all who have bought my book with not only their hard earned cash but their tender yet feisty enthusiasm to have my words in their lives has reignited the love I have for those who support me. Those who right now can’t be right here, I understand & in truth, a new lesson has been learned by me. A deeper value within has shifted that could have only become real for me, by seeing who & what was in front of me. Sometimes it is hard to see the woods from the trees when standing in the forest right? And yet the more you travel the path through, the better your sight becomes. You see what you look for & even if some parts go out of view, when the time is right & with wisdom on all parts, the right trees step forward & stand tall.

Friends will come and go…And that is ok. People will come and go. And that is ok. The seasons will come and go. And that is ok. We are like the trees in among the passing seasons, we must stand tall & brave, and we must endure the cold wild winds of winter to be rewarded with the warm, soft maternal caress of summer. We often find shelter where we least expect it and we must never forget all we need do in searching for support is look to the trees that stand around us at all times. They are there and we are here. We’ve just got to look up 💖

‘Eternal Hope’ is a collection of poems, prayers & prompts to keep you looking up & is available to purchase on www.livingandlaughingwithlou.com & Amazon 🙏

Lou x

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Hello dear friends,

Thank you so much for all your lovely private messages and for your comments on my last letter about my dear aunt Ro. I am so grateful to you and I feel for so many broken hearts that reached towards me after reading/listening to my last substack letter. Grief sure is an ongoing battle but then if we did not love, we could never lose and who would ever want to live a life that did not love with all our hearts!

We are here to love fully, love unconditionally and love with all our mite and the price of that love is indeed loss but to truly live in this life, to love others is a gift that brings humanity together. A gift that can only be given when you yourself loves thyself. It is from that place within that you can then share your light, travel with your light and in turn let the light be united as you meet people where they are and love them right in that moment. Grief is indeed the price of that light and that love but without it, we are not living. Not truly anyways.

Keep loving, keep looking up and let’s keep praying for each other too.

While I’m here I just want to invite you to a little online event I’m running next week. I’ll pop the zoom link down below. On Monday evening (December 15th) at 8pm (Irish time) I’m hosting a live book reading if you might like to pop along. It will be very relaxed whereby I will read some pieces from my new book ‘Eternal Hope’ while explaining where and how this book came together along with discussing the themes of love, loss, loneliness and of course the ongoing ask that is upon us all when things go wrong in this life. I hope it will be a soft uplifting gathering. All you need bring is yourself and your cuppa tea. It will be very informal like everything with me is and there is no pressure for your to interact or turn on your camera, you can indeed just hit the zoom link next Monday and listen in. I’m a big fan of the radio/the practice of listening in my life so feel free to dip in and dip out if you feel drawn to this gathering as there is no pressure to interact.

The zoom link is as follows:

Zoom link for Mon 15th December 'Eternal Hope' Live Reading

If you wish to receive the full zoom details for the link, just pop me a message on livingandlaughingwithlou@gmail.com and I’ll send it over.

The book is indeed available to purchase for Irish & UK readers through my website. The bonus of purchasing the book via myself is that I will write a personalise message inside the book and also as a gift for supporting an Independent Irish writer, I will include a gift of a ‘Keep Looking Up’ special limited bookmark/wristband/pen with your book also.

www.livingandlaughingwithlou.com

For those who live stateside or further afield around the world, ‘Eternal Hope’ has indeed gone live on Amazon now too. (If you do buy from Amazon, I’d love if you did leave a review as then I could thank you for buying it there and also Amazon’s algorithm helps books that have interaction so that would help me too- thank you)

Okeydokey,

That’s all the news I have for now. I hope you are keeping well and thank you so much to all who have purchased ‘Eternal Hope’ so far. I am so very very grateful.

Love and light,

Lou x

Dearest Substack Family,

First off I am so sorry that I have been so quiet of late. For someone who communicates and writes so easily, my heart has been so tangled in recent weeks, that the words were simply not willing to go onto the page so therefore I had to step away from my writing until I could feel strong enough and light enough to allow my heart to flow... I am so glad to be back but just want you to know that my silence was simply a sign of an ache in my heart.

On 11th day of the 11th month of this year, my dearest aunt and one of my best friends and greatest supporters passed from this life to the next and genuinely I cannot tell you how unprepared I was to know she was no longer here. She has held my hand since I was a child and even in adulthood she never truly let it go. She was the aunt that one can only dream to have. My mam and Ro were best friends so it was always like having a second mammy only - she was different as only aunties can be.

She was the one who let me lick the spoon and the bowl after baking buns and who watched me take every step forward in my life, whether new shoes, a bike or even steps forward as a writer of books. She never missed a birthday in my forty two years and I genuinely can’t explain the unconditional love she showed me and everyone who knew her. She was kind, humble, wise, brilliant with words both written and spoken, gently delivered in only a fashion that could be described as ‘love in a voice’. Everyone loved Ro and I am truly devastated by her passing.

Ro was my dad’s sister and when dad left, me and Ro became even tighter. Myself, mam and Ro travelled the path through heartbroken grief and we survived it together purely because we held each other and it was through this bond that we found love, light and laughter together beyond the devastation that is grief. See grief comes in different forms, but when it strikes your kitchen table, your inner circle, when it takes people who know you inside and out and who have never left your side, the ache it causes is unbearable to endure but with good people close by, you can indeed survive it. Ro was one of those people for me. She never stood away, she was so consistent in who she was, a trait that is nearly unrecognisable in todays’ fast changing world. That’s why I loved her even more, she remained steadfast in her love for others, no matter what came along.

On November 17th Ro’s funeral mass took place. I arrived to Clontarf early with my family. United and tight as a row of people who all dearly loved Ro, we sat in the cars for a few minutes in parking up. As I sat in the back seat with my nephews, I glanced out the window knowing it was early morning and the sun was about to rise. I said to those in the car, ‘I’m going for a walk.’ As I stepped out, the cool fresh sea air met my face and within a glance up and out, and in true Ro fashion, the sky gave me everything I needed in that moment. Of course, Ro knew all about my love of the sky as she too loved it. We would exchange endless texts over the years about weather forecasts and skylines and I would bombard her whatsapp with a new photo I had taken of a new sunset she absolutely needed to see. Ro knew I believed in heaven above and I think my belief kind of immersed her belief too - through my obsession.

As I looked across Clontarf bay, Ro of course presented to me the skyline I could only dream about. The skyline that brought heaven to me on a morning when heaven was so close. She presented to me the sign she knew I would see. I looked up and there she was. Seated in a place I could access at anytime yet broken that I could no longer be right beside her. That sky was my saviour that morning and I will forever hold it in my heart because I know it not only helped me but it affirms everything I say, everything I believe and everything I write about. They are there. We just need to look up.

I put together a video the evening after the funeral so it would help me never forget Ro and also to allow me to feel the dire pain I’m experiencing in my heart right now so I treat this grief with as much tenderness as I can endure and as much love as I felt for her and she felt for me. I must feel these feelings of pain and loss because it is in these feelings that I’m slowly letting ro’s hand go and in time, healing will allow me to know that the hardest part was losing Ro but the greatest blessing was knowing her and loving her and for that, I would never give up my grief to now have known that unconditional love and friendship for anything.

In my heart I know she will never be truly be gone but in life, it is the losses that we experience that teach us the hardest lessons yet the greatest lessons come from the hardest falls. If we did not love in this life, then we would never experience a loss so great that it could silence your heart from writing yet as the tears fall, all I wish to do in this moment is write. And the reason for that, because Ro believed in me. Ro loved my words. Ro supported me as a writer and Ro would never want me to put down my pen, instead in this moment, Ro would say ‘Lou, broken wings still fly. Be you. Be true. Fly birdie fly.’ So here I am, flying towards you, the storm may be all around me and it is, but I’m flying Ro.

As you will see in the video, while I was watching the sunset, into view flew a flock of geese….I honestly couldnt believe my eyes but then I knew Ro knew I would see them…As I stood alone along the sea front, a place where Ro stood for all of her life, I just knew she was close in so many ways. To witness a flock of geese is linked to the symbolism of the spirtual departure of someones soul to the next life. A sign of change and that the cycle of life keeps turning. As I looked up, I knew Ro would not only want me to continue writing but she would want me to continue looking up and to continue believing that everything was going to be alright. So here I am, back in my writing seat, reaching out to you and looking up.

Sending love and light to you wherever you might be as you read this x

My heart might be broken right now but I am travelling through it, day by day and hour by hour. Thank you to all who have reached out and comforted me at such a tough time. My book ‘Eternal Hope’ launched on the Friday after Ro’s Funeral on the Monday so to say my feelings were a mess would be nearly an understatement but I’m getting there. I’ve made it. The book is real. The book is out. And people seem to be really loving it for a whole lot of reasons but mostly because all the parts of my heart is in this one, and the grieving, the lonely and the worried recognise that instantly as what I’ve put together was written for them and also for me.

I hope life is being so beautiful to you wherever you might be in this moment.

Keep looking up.

They’re right there, and they so proud of how you’re coping.

For now, slow and steady as we go, step by step and gently moving forward.

Love and light always,

Grá agus solas go deo,

Lou x

*In my next substack, I’ll tell you more about the launch of the book and i’ll include a zoom link for a session whereby I’ll be reading my new book out loud. If you might like to join me, there will probably be tears but I’d love to have you along if that is something you might enjoy. And also the book is for sale for Ireland and UK readers on www.livingandlaughingwithlou.com

And finally, that video I made; To forever keep Ro in my heart, tears and all - Thanks for being one of my greatest influences and I promise I will never forget you. Birdie must fly now Ro. Be free. Say hi to Dad and Gran for me and so many others I miss up there x

Hello dear Substack Family,

I hope this letter finds you well.

This letter comes in the format of a video made just for you. Made especially for anyone who might be feeling low or sad as we turn the page and begin the month of November. In Ireland the month of November is a month whereby we celebrate and remember our dead. We begin the month today with All Saints and tomorrow All Souls and for the full month we pray for those gone ahead of us but mostly we pray for those who grieve. November brings with it leaves of change and sadly without notice, in our lives, things and people change. It is these changes that often can come and from that moment on, nothing really ever feels the same.

I am a person who knows grief well and as many of you know it is a topic I most often speak about. I speak about it because it not only has changed my life, taken people I love away from me but it has changed people who I once loved as well as changing me as a person too.

Grief and death are two dark and real aspects of this life and as much as I wish they did not exist, without them I know the other side of life would not exist then. Love, friendship, connection; they would not matter only for the fragilitly that life is and the fact that they can be taken away from us in any given second. We are here and then we are gone. We must live awake not wait for the day that the door closes to realise how lucky we are to be here, right in this moment, living, breathing, loving and hopefully looking up.

Let me be your company as the seasons change from light to dark, winter is very much arriving here in Ireland and we are ready to bury ourselves away - hibernation is underway and I’m ok with that...…See with change, we never truly know when change will happen - but with the seasons, I trust them dearly as their consistency of change is a thing of beauty and something I rely on….It is the changes within our life’s paths - that’s when we really need each other. That is the key to getting out the other side.

I’ll leave this little video for you to look at, you might enjoy it through earphones on a walk yourself. It would be my honour to take steps alongside you wherever you might roam.

Thank you for reading my words and for sticking by me as a writer and a friend in everyway. I hope you know how much I appreciate you.

Le grá i gcónaí (With love always),

Lou x

My new book ‘Eternal Hope’ will be official released on November 21st and is available to pre-order in Ireland & the Uk from www.livingandlaughingwithlou.com

International Release Date: December 11th (all going to plan). More info to come ;)

This post will arrive to your inbox on 1.11 at 1.11pm.

This is my way to send you an extra bit of magic today x

Okeydokey the book is officially being typesetted and formatted as I write this post :) Tomorrow it will go to the printers...Today I will focus on tidying up my book orders (check, check, check…mental list shared ;0)

Pre-orders are in place to make sure I have enough books for anyone that might like one for Christmas. Pre-orders are for Irish and Uk customers only. This is the information overload paragraph as you might have sensed ;) International orders will be announced once the book is out in the world :)

‘Eternal Hope’ will officially be released on November 21st (21.11) and I would be so thrilled if you might like a copy. Eternal Hope is a small wee book and it will fit in your handbag if you are taking a train trip, it will slide under your pillow as you fall asleep or will sit on your bedside locker. It will fit the hands of adults and young people alike. The theme of the book is a mixture of poems and prayers all around the theme of love, loss, loneliness and the struggles we all face on a day to day basis.

A major theme within the book is the theme of grief and the sadness we face when someone we love dies. Poems like ‘I Look For You in Other People’, ‘The Front Row’ and ‘Stones in your Pocket’ all touch on the process of dying and how we are faced with the consequences without notice, and how death can either make us darker or make us value life for the precious process it is.

There is a prayer called ‘May You’ which opens the book and I hope this prayer might be a guiding start to your day and maybe a prayer you read at night also as you finish your day no matter what way it went. There is a wide selections of topics covered but the focus throughout is my effort to comfort you if you do find yourself in a place of darkness.

Poems such as ‘I Don’t Want to Fight’ and ‘Why Our Words are at War’ touch on the subject of human separation in 2025, and how as a people we seem to be finding ourselves futher apart when in this moment we really should be moving towards each other to keep peace at the centre. I’ve included a prayer for the grieving, a prayer to help you keep looking up and a prayer to remind you that no matter what shadows move towards you, the light always wins in the end.

This book is small and cute and the reading time is estimated around one hour. The poems, prayers and reflections are meant to be savoured slowly, returned to often and felt long after the final page is read. I have written this book in a manner that is easy to pick up and put down and that you will find yourself drawn to it as a easy access point that will not only comfort you but it will give you a sense of feeling less alone in the dark. Whatever might be bothering you or keeping you from sleeping at night, I hope my book will help you to feel less alone.

This is indeed my second book and it’s a big moment for me personally. Granny is no longer with me and it is in her honour that I continue to write because she always believed in me as a writer and I hope when you receive this book, it will feel as magically for you as it was for me putting it together. My heart, soul and my tears are inside ‘Eternal Hope’ and I pray that you get something from it, particularly on the days that you feel less.

Thank you for reading all the way down to here and thank you for being you.

In a world where stepping outside the lines is seen as an act of rebellion, be sure to know that’s exactly what I intend to keep doing.

I promise you, I will keep HOPE alive.

Keep looking up my dear friends,

Lou x

If you might like to pre-order a book (Ireland/Uk only), please hop onto my website - www.livingandlaughingwithlou.com. Thank you so much for all your support always.

Pre- Order 'Eternal Hope'

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Hello Substack Family,

Just a little note to announce that ‘Eternal Hope’ is now available to PRE-ORDER for ONE WEEK ONLY for readers in IRELAND AND THE UK.

I’ll be placing my print order with the lovely Sally in Cork next Friday, 24th October, so if you’d like a copy of my second book (which will be officially released on November 21st)… I’d be absolutely thrilled if you placed your order today.

This is the link:

www.livingandlaughingwithlou.com

The book is priced at €15 for one book and €28 for 2 books with a limit of two per order. Your support means a lot.

Feel free to contact me directly on loucoghlanwrites@gmail.com if you might not have the money right now but would like me to keep you a book. I am taking book orders without the need for funds right now so please just let me know if you might want one, and I’ll keep one with your name on it.

‘Eternal Hope’ is a small, heartfelt book and is about an hour’s read. If you’re struggling, grieving, or simply feeling the world is a bit too chaotic right now, Eternal Hope will feel like a warm mug of tea shared with a kind, gentle friend. Sitting, listening, holding and sending hope to the heaviest part of your heart. This book was written in response to the experiences I’ve felt myself in losing people I love, in facing hard times and in finding compassion, light and hope in the people who step close to me as well as in the sky, in nature and in my own heart.

Thank you for being here Substack Family and your support literally keeps the lights on in my writing home :)

Love always,

Keep looking up my dear friend,

Lou x

Pre Order 'Eternal Hope'

Good morning Substack family,

With Granny Nancy’s birthday in Heaven this Thursday, it feels so special and fitting to announce that I’ll be opening orders for my new book Eternal Hope to Irish customers on my website that same day — a heartfelt way to mark and celebrate her beautiful life. Though she may rest in Heaven, I can’t think of a more perfect time to begin sharing this new chapter of my writing life.

My new book ‘Eternal Hope’ will be officially released and launched on November 21st but orders for Irish customers will begin this Thursday :)

I chose November for this book’s launch because, for me, November is a sacred month. It’s the month that honours the dead here in Ireland, with All Saints and All Souls at its beginning. November invites us to value the light, yet for anyone grieving, it can also be a tender and difficult month to journey through.

I also picked the 21st of the 11th month for another reason. I do love numerology as many of you know and I believe in numbers, signs can present themselves. When you put this date together it reads 2111 which I think is another beautiful reason to celebrate that even at the darkest hour, signs of hope can arrive when you least expect them.

The Pre-order system for Irish customers will guarantee you a copy of this first edition book come November 21st -a small little cute book filled with poems & prayers around the themes of love, loss & loneliness but equally balanced with the power of friendship, faith & a whole lot of hope :)

The book will be small in size - a5 and approx 90 pages - it will fit into your handbag & can be read at ease. Reading time is about 50 minutes - 1 hour or maybe longer if you are like me - I pick up and put down, and then pick up again…. but I hope you will read it often and most importantly I hope it will help you to keep holding onto hope especially in times of need. I hope it will keep you looking up (even if you are looking down while reading it). :)

It will be priced at €15 and I will be distributing the orders myself here, signing all the Irish copies for posting within the 32 counties.

Orders will open this Thursday 16th October at 9am & I will confirm the website link when it is active & open…… by posting it on my social media (www.facebook.com/livingandlaughingwithlou) and also here on Substack. I encourage you to order early to avoid disappointment as this will be a special limited book & orders are limited to two per person :) I will be closing the pre-order system on October 30th so please order early to avoid disappointment :)

The book will not be available in shops just through my website.

Special pricing will be in place:

1 book €15, 2 books: €28 for a limited time.

An international order system for the rest of the world will be announced at the end of the month :)

‘Eternal Hope’ will indeed be available all around the world come November 21st :) 21.11 :)

Irish orders are opening first as I wanted to distribute the Irish end myself & I also wanted to give an Irish print company the business & the money as I want to play my part in adding to the Irish market, economy & jobs too. I am a proud Irish woman & I want to do my bit as an Irish business woman also.

Thank you so much for your support & do keep an eye on here for more details about the Irish orders opening this Thursday. I will put up the link to order on Wednesday on my Facebook page and also it will be sent directly to your inboxes here via Substack and it will be posted here too :)

I hope you are as excited as me (I’m a little scared - but I hope you like the book)…fingers and toes crossed. Lots more news and updates will be announced in the next few weeks :)

Thank you so so much for sticking with me through all the up’s and downs….You are the reason I write and I am grateful for you everyday.

Happy Monday everyone.

Be safe. Be beautiful. Be you ;)

Lou x

Here is one of my favourite songs - composed by the wonderful Liam Lawton. Fr. Liam Lawton is not only a gift in song writing but also such a good human and friend. Fr. Liam is a much loved person here in Ireland and I’m honoured to know him. He is from the town of Edenderry and I hope you enjoy the song of his. It is full of hope and full of the magic that lies within us all when we lean into our gifts. Take five minutes for yourself today and close your eyes listening to this one x