Hello friends,
A coworker shared this tweet in a presentation and it just feels so perfect for you.
I sat in my backyard this morning listening to the birds, staring at all the trees and blooming flowers, and thought, wow, look what a little flooding can do! God has let those clouds cry oceans of tears in our yard, perhaps as a gesture of solidarity, and now the ground has produced a flourishing. Being unwell leads to healing if we let it. Be encouraged.
I grew up hearing, "You've got to take the bitter with the sweet."
Wouldn't it be lovely never to suffer or endure hardship or simultaneously experience the strange sensations of beauty and pain? No, it would not. You'd be very bored. Or self-righteous and insufferable. Instead, you are here now, facing your fears and growing with others. It turns out that grace is sufficient for us.
Today, we're celebrating something very special: One year at After Hours!
Thank you for being here in this neighborhood. After leaving the publishing and speaking world, I loved finding a corner of the internet that felt like home. A place where people feel seen and understood, where swear words don't set off salvation alarm bells, and infighting is not the norm. I'm glad you've decided to put your feet up and stay a while.
As a gift to celebrate, I'd like to share one of my favorite Mentor Mondays with you. These posts are for paid subscribers only, but I've made my video interview with Lisa Sharon Harper available for everyone. If you've loved your time here at After Hours and would like to become a paid supporter, it's cheaper than your favorite latte every month. Zero pressure - sales things are new - I'm so happy you're here.
Fun Milestones in Year One!
20,000 unique visitors have stopped by the front porch
65 other Substacks made After Hours one of their recommended reads
After Hours was selected for Substack Grow - a six-week virtual group learning with the platform's staff and most successful writers. (Shout out to Mary Poindexter, a writer and top-notch encourager I met through small groups!)
Most-read posts: This one on abortion; This one on Midlife and Motherhood (the most feral hood); This one on making decisions from a grounded place; This one about the hurt in people's hearts; This one on life being a cluster.
My favorite posts: Is less really more? // Stay Soft // You can't please everyone // Granny Lucy didn't take no shit // Starting over is a holy kind of hard // Midlife and Motherhood
YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT! The texts and voice memos from those who know me well, private emails sharing your stories and desires, comments on posts, and social media shares. You make me want to keep writing.
Thank you for letting me share.
Celebrating myself is something I could improve at, so in that spirit, creating this community is worth me stopping to say, wow, look what a little love can do. Looking forward to all that's ahead for us, including a series on mid-life that will make you laugh and possibly cry. I'm finally ready. That will start next week and be called the Awkward Middle. I'd appreciate it if you'd consider inviting friends to join us.
Sending you lots of love,
Ash
P.S. A crow has moved into our yard. He walks around, his wings tucked behind him, and pensively sits on the roof. Should we be worried? Y/N
Congrats! I am a newbie here and love to hear about experiences in Substack Land. From what I can tell, it's a happy place (even with the crows).
Well, this is amazing Ashley! Happy Birthday, After Hours but also CHEERS to the balance you've struck in making this place your writing home, and not Social Media.