These are some of my favourite poems to keep your heart looking up & to help you keep going...PART 1

****I’d love if you hit play in the little purple box below here as I think the reading of this piece along with the poem might be music to your ears…..nice and gentle listening I promise x This is saved in my podcasts on spotify so you can access it anytime by searching ‘Living and Laughing with Lou’ on spotify :)

This is a three part substack…..giving this a whirl ;) All photos in this substack were taking this week…No filters are ever applied to my photos…..as the eye sees, I witnessed and I feel so lucky to share them with you every week. Where there is joy, there is opportunity to double that joy ;)

This week & the next two substacks are made up of three pieces of writing that have helped me a lot - to cope with this world. They remind me that I’m human which is something we often forget and they allow me to feel weak, feel strong and then look up and keep going. I hope you enjoy my first part of this three part post and podcast……

The first is a poem I’m picking from the beautiful Mary Oliver called ‘When I Am Among The Trees’ - this is one I whole heartily feel every word of. I spend a lot of time out in nature no matter the weather and I absolutely love the seasons.

I love seeing, feeling, looking and the smells that are created as one season blends into the other. I love the seasons for who they are. They are all so different from each other and they don’t hide behind -afraid - of showing all their colours good and bad. Often we can give autumn and winter a tough time which I feel is pretty unfair in the big picture because for me, they remind me of two really important things in life:

1. Change…Change is a fact of life. Change is important. Change is instrumental to growth and particular regrowth and without change we would live in a very boring world. Also change is something we have absolutely no control over. As humans in 2023, we seem to have come up with a general idea that we are somewhat in control of everything ……. and it is the seasons, the sky, nature and the weather I lean into… in reminding myself I am only in control of my reactions, my behaviour and how I love (and hate) in this world. I’m grateful that I do not carry hate inside me but I know many that do and equally I do not know what is down the road for me, and how quickly life can change so it is for that reason I love & I even admire and am in awe of the seasons. In many ways they are my reminder that life can change in a falling of a leaf and it’s up to us to build an inner strength for when that day comes, because just like the seasons, no human can hide from change.

2. Value: Even though I love spring and summer, the autumn and winter seasons are the seasons of darkness and shadows & I value their presence in my life very much. Without them, we would not value the light and even the warm rays on our faces when those days come. Without these darker months, we might fool ourselves into thinking that life is all sunshine and good times. For me the darker seasons highlight & affirm in many ways my own thoughts on life and that is that….LIFE IS TOUGH and more often that not, darkness can fall without notice or control and it is bloody hard work to move out through it. If anything, it is from the darkness and loss of light in these months, that make us value the sunshine and brightness when they return. For humans, we truly only value things when they are taken away from us and somewhere among the winter months, here in Ireland anyways, I believe a resilience is built within us as a people, that only comes from coping and maybe even embracing these darker months. These seasons too - open our minds that no person is perfect…… there is no such thing as perfect weather, perfect person or even a perfect season…. There is only a mindset to engage with the weather. If inside ourselves, we aren’t happy, no amount of good weather or sunshine can change that. And in engaging with our shadow selves and our shadow seasons, we can work towards a brighter, more valued sense of light! Where there is light, there is dark and where there is dark, there is always light too, we just must look for it :)

In beginning to write this substack I’ve just returned from a walk down the village & as ironic as it seems to oh so apt, while out on my stroll and in a very lou fashion, while out I took a few moments under a big tree and just looked up. I actually said to the tree out loud, “only for you, I couldn’t breathe.” I think we often forget that. The beauty and the life giving nature of our trees and the wonderful opportunity nature gives us to be alone, to be quiet and to be still and to be alive in this moment.

In picking this poem this week, I want you to close your eyes for the minute it takes me to read this and just relax your shoulders. Also I want for you as you take your steps outside to notice the trees and to just take time to think about the power they have and what a gift they are for us too. They like the seasons are just themselves and they don’t make excuses or try to be anything but their authentic giving selves. They keep us breathing, they gives homes to so many animals and at the end of the day, it is us that owes them so much because no matter the day or the hour, as the seasons move, nature moves too and for that I am eternally grateful.

The trees were here before I got here and the trees will be here after I am gone.

Thank you trees, thank you sky, thank you nature, thank you world for being YOU! x

When I Am Among The Trees

By Mary Oliver

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, “Stay awhile.”
The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say,
“and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine.

As I finish up this week’s substack I just want to mention a few little bits. I received the most beautiful video from the gorgeous Caroline O’Driscoll who I introduced you to last week. I’m included it here as I’m so grateful to Caroline for saying these words to me as like everyone in this world, there are many times when I doubt myself too and need reminding that I am exactly where I need to be in this moment. I will continue to write, speak and share my light with you all and thank you all so dearly for supporting me with my gift. It is your comments and support that keep me writing and sharing so THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.

*Also a reminder that my book is on sale from my website and it would make the perfect gift for someone you love - Just click on my website here and it will bring you straight to it: www.livingandlaughingwithlou.com It is up for the non fiction CAP book award on November 3rd so keeping all the fingers and toes crossed for that. No matter what it is an honour to have made it to the shortlist of these awards as they are very special to my heart as they tie in with working to promote supports for mental health in fundraising for the Irish organisation AWARE alongside the awards.

Also it was Gran’s birthday on Monday just gone and I felt very close to her when in recent times I’ve worked hard on myself to be brave and to try lean into the hurt that lies deep inside my heart. My heart is now healing and I know that is a combination of all the many people who have loved me and also all the love I’ve worked inside myself. I shared the following words and video on fb/instagram during the week and I think it would sit well here too…just to remind you to keep going & that you too will heal x

There was a reason I travelled thousands of miles away to celebrate my 40th birthday. Every year myself and gran shared our birthday month together & as I turned 40, someone very close to my heart was going to be missing. As gran turned 110 in heaven, I’d imagine she was missing me from her side also 💖 it was one of our favourite fun things to celebrate 🎂 🎂
So in travelling solo to Vancouver I was going to spend time with one of my best friends before she moved to Australia, but also I was going to see my favourite band in the world - Coldplay - to hear them play a ‘Sky Full of Stars’ live on our birthday month - as for me this song represents heaven - & I always dream that all our loved ones live beyond the skies night & as they twinkle, they can see us, just like we can feel them in our heart. This song also describes what love is - my favourite people are just like a sky full of stars ✨✨✨Happy 110th birthday in heaven Gran. Hope I’m doing you proud down here & one day we will eventually blow our candles out together again but for now, I’ll live my life to the fullest 💖 You will always be my sky full of stars ✨#love #grief #hope #dreams #ireland #canada #lookingup
Coldplay Xtra The Coldplay Dreamers Club Coldplay Dreamers
This video is dedicated to all who miss someone in heaven ✨ and a reminder that even though we can feel left behind, our loss can be transformed into love again by just leaning into the love we shared ✨ Keep looking up ✨✨✨✨✨🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙
I’ll always be so grateful for finding my writing group three months after gran passing, without them, and the amazing friends I made, the book would never have been written & the absolute cosmic magic & life story that was Granny Nancy would have never made it out of my broken heart 💖 sooooo many reasons I’m so so grateful as my healing heart moves forward 💖✨💖

Also while out on my walk this evening, after talking to my tree ;) the most amazing sunset and sky surrounded me. A lady recently said to me that she had travelled and lived all over the world and there was no sky that matched Ireland and I have to say I think she might be right ;) The sky never ever fails to present magic to me in a million ways no matter what season it is and I think that’s why I love it so much :)

Righteo that’s it from me this week, thank you so much for reading/listening to my substack each week! You mean everything to me and if by some means, you can support me financially, moving to a paid contributory subscription is an option always and I am grateful to all who support my craft, my work and my gift.

Love and light to you always,

Lou x

I see big magic everyday in Ireland x This was taken this evening at gran’s grave in the village of Clonard, county Meath x