i struggle from adenomyosis and i sometimes wonder how life is like without it. i was diagnosed in 2021 and the symptoms have become quite regularly bad in all of 2023 — every period came with nausea and loads of puking for at least 1-3 days. every period came with a greater and greater sense of surrender and helplessness. i wonder how you struggled with it and would want to write about it, even! i'm just grateful that every time i get to read about adeno/endo warriors even mentioning it <3 thank you for this wonderful post yet again, Marloes!
Thanks for your kind comment, Xinwei. It can be so tough to deal with any illness, can't it? Put on a brave face and march on. It's not always easy, so we should be kind and mindful of ourselves. It's good to remind yourself that you can't but also don't have to do everything that everyone else is doing. I feel grateful that I had a chance of getting my career on a steady track before the endo got really bad (besides a few other illnesses), because I can be very impatient. But even if you have to get something on track while you're dealing with illnesses: be kind, be patient, be proud of what you have achieved so far.
I love the idea of reviving actual letters in the post - what a treat! Happy New Year to you Marloes… and thankyou for all these useful prompts for thought for how to navigate the year ahead. Keep looking at where you want to go is a good one!
Life is to short not to live it. Yes! That’s what I want for this year, not to live small any more. Thanks for the inspiration and a very happy new year to you! BTW Pudding and Pie are TOO cute!🥰
Isn't it? I really feel I've wasted to much of me life already on doing things that didn't matter at all. Make time for proper experiencing life. Go out in nature, feel the wind in your face, taste some brambles :)
Thank you for writing this, it calmed me down a lot after the very loud new-years night. (My noice canceling headphones sadly did not help much yesterday.)
I really want to write and draw more this year for the sake of getting into flow. Not to work towards an end result that feeds my need for perfection.
Thank you again Marloes. I enjoy and appreciate your newsletter and Substack writings a lot.
Loved to read your newsletter, i know what you mean when you say "there’s a difference for me between my daily work and the “work” I do for myself." i can relate. I will definitly make that list of what i want "more" and "less". I am 45 and i also love share the same opinion as you about getting older. I think that i am genuinely loving the 40's! Thank you! I hope 2025 can be a more serene to you, Happy New Year!
Love this 🥰 I’d love to create more opportunities for myself, expand my paintings in scale and materials used, and I’d love more genuine honest connections in my life… for less I’m similar to you, I’d like to eat less unhealthy food, I’d like to worry less and I’d like to put less pressure on myself 👀
This is so good Marloes 🥰 your more/less list especially resonates! I would love to write more letters of appreciation, sing out loud, and hold hands. And less tight pants, “one and done” sharing, and stressing about the details when I speak.
I love your plan to wear more high quality jumpers! I’m going to keep up with my new hobby of wild swimming, so think I’ll definitely need the jumpers too 😁
I love this letter! And I relate to much of it. For example not planning ahead as much. I’m finding more and more (even though I love planning) that it doesn’t really work, you just don’t know where life is going to take you. Instead I am going to try to move with the waves of life, paying attention to what is and leaning into that rather than forcing something else.
I've found the same thing, and feel that planning too far ahead is blocking my intuitive needs as well. I need space and time to make decisions in the moment, otherwise I'm driving on a track in the wrong direction.
i struggle from adenomyosis and i sometimes wonder how life is like without it. i was diagnosed in 2021 and the symptoms have become quite regularly bad in all of 2023 — every period came with nausea and loads of puking for at least 1-3 days. every period came with a greater and greater sense of surrender and helplessness. i wonder how you struggled with it and would want to write about it, even! i'm just grateful that every time i get to read about adeno/endo warriors even mentioning it <3 thank you for this wonderful post yet again, Marloes!
Thanks for your kind comment, Xinwei. It can be so tough to deal with any illness, can't it? Put on a brave face and march on. It's not always easy, so we should be kind and mindful of ourselves. It's good to remind yourself that you can't but also don't have to do everything that everyone else is doing. I feel grateful that I had a chance of getting my career on a steady track before the endo got really bad (besides a few other illnesses), because I can be very impatient. But even if you have to get something on track while you're dealing with illnesses: be kind, be patient, be proud of what you have achieved so far.
I love the idea of reviving actual letters in the post - what a treat! Happy New Year to you Marloes… and thankyou for all these useful prompts for thought for how to navigate the year ahead. Keep looking at where you want to go is a good one!
I love letters. They're little gifts in the mail. It connects me to my penpal friend on such a different, deeper level. I recommend it to everyone.
I love following you Jane, can't wait to see where you're going next!
Aww thankyou so much Marloes! 🥰🥰🥰
Life is to short not to live it. Yes! That’s what I want for this year, not to live small any more. Thanks for the inspiration and a very happy new year to you! BTW Pudding and Pie are TOO cute!🥰
Isn't it? I really feel I've wasted to much of me life already on doing things that didn't matter at all. Make time for proper experiencing life. Go out in nature, feel the wind in your face, taste some brambles :)
Thank you for writing this, it calmed me down a lot after the very loud new-years night. (My noice canceling headphones sadly did not help much yesterday.)
I really want to write and draw more this year for the sake of getting into flow. Not to work towards an end result that feeds my need for perfection.
Thank you again Marloes. I enjoy and appreciate your newsletter and Substack writings a lot.
That's so lovely to read, Floor. Thank you! It's nice to know that my writings are finding someone :)
Such beautiful illustrations and thoughts. I want to create and write more, and Instagram less. :)
Thanks! I hope you will. I feel that the art you made will last a lot longer in your brain as a happy moment, than scrolling or posting on Instagram.
Loved to read your newsletter, i know what you mean when you say "there’s a difference for me between my daily work and the “work” I do for myself." i can relate. I will definitly make that list of what i want "more" and "less". I am 45 and i also love share the same opinion as you about getting older. I think that i am genuinely loving the 40's! Thank you! I hope 2025 can be a more serene to you, Happy New Year!
Thanks Sandra! I've only just entered the age of the 40's but so far, I'm loving it :) And I hope we both get to do a bit more for ourselves.
Love this 🥰 I’d love to create more opportunities for myself, expand my paintings in scale and materials used, and I’d love more genuine honest connections in my life… for less I’m similar to you, I’d like to eat less unhealthy food, I’d like to worry less and I’d like to put less pressure on myself 👀
I love those 'mores' you wrote down!
This is so good Marloes 🥰 your more/less list especially resonates! I would love to write more letters of appreciation, sing out loud, and hold hands. And less tight pants, “one and done” sharing, and stressing about the details when I speak.
Thanks Carolyn! What does "one and done" sharing mean?
I love your plan to wear more high quality jumpers! I’m going to keep up with my new hobby of wild swimming, so think I’ll definitely need the jumpers too 😁
I haven't gone swimming in lakes yet but it's high on my list. Hope to do that soon enough :) And yes to jumpers!
I think this is the most beautiful year reflection I ever saw. And a very helpful one as well. Thank you!
Thank you so much! I'm happy to hear it helped.
I love this letter! And I relate to much of it. For example not planning ahead as much. I’m finding more and more (even though I love planning) that it doesn’t really work, you just don’t know where life is going to take you. Instead I am going to try to move with the waves of life, paying attention to what is and leaning into that rather than forcing something else.
I've found the same thing, and feel that planning too far ahead is blocking my intuitive needs as well. I need space and time to make decisions in the moment, otherwise I'm driving on a track in the wrong direction.
Love your lists and drawings.
Yes to reading for measure and experiencing life!!!
Thank you!