Where I’m Lingering

May's Life Lately

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. —Anaïs Nin

The past month has been filled with peonies, performances, long conversations, preparations for Paris, and the fullness that arrives when life begins expanding again after a quieter season.

My mom was here for a week, June is approaching with all its birthday-month energy, and somewhere in the middle of it all I’ve been trying to keep up with the ordinary rhythms of daily life too (including writing to you—one of my favorite monthly rituals).

There’s been more movement lately, socially and emotionally. More noise. More experiences. More color. More moments that linger longer than expected.

I’ve been thinking about the Anaïs Nin quote above and how certain seasons of life ask us to stretch beyond the shape we’ve grown comfortable inhabiting. The days feel fuller. The emotions feel more layered. You realize you’re carrying anticipation, uncertainty, excitement, tenderness, gratitude, and exhaustion all at once.

Life Lately remains my place to pause inside all of it and take stock of what’s been unfolding along the way.

Below are a few glimpses from the past month. Pour something soothing. Reach for your journal to do the same. Settle in. I’m so glad you’re here!

What I’m working on:

• Preparing for a weekend getaway in the mountains, the logistics of leaving my office space behind, and beginning to shape June in Paris (aka birthday month).

• Balancing client sessions, packing lists, Substack drafts, and quality time with loved ones.

• Keeping my body strong through ballet and Reformer while also trying to respect its limits (which are many).

🫖 Prompt: What currently feels worth the effort, even when it’s inconvenient, tiring, or unfinished?

What I’m consuming:

• Iced blueberry matcha, glossy blueberry lavender brioche, and more savoring café stops than usual.

• Reading Selfish by Kerry Docherty, Confessions to the Moon by Michael Poetryy, and rereading A Doll’s House alongside a stack of books slowly taking over every surface.

• Concerts, theater nights, museums, movies, poetry, and snail mail from friends.

• This Instagram account I found highlighting all things Anaïs Nin.

🫖 Prompt: What have you been surrounding yourself with lately, and how is it shaping your mood, energy, or imagination?

What I’m loving:

• Hosting the annual Coterie Tea Time chez moi and watching online friendships become real-life ones.

• Having Mom here for a full week filled with shows, meals out, long conversations, and matching black outfits.

• The feeling of spring becoming fuller, louder, and more social after a quieter winter.

🫖 Prompt: Where in your life are you experiencing a greater sense of connection, warmth, or aliveness?

What I’m wearing:

• Thrifted layers, oversized sunglasses, black satin, and boots that refuse to retire for the season.

• Red lipstick and tiny traces of Paris even while still in DC.

• Leopard print whenever the mood calls for it.

🫖 Prompt: What parts of yourself are becoming more visible through your personal style lately?

What I’m noticing:

• How I love playing tourist in DC—here I am entering the National Cathedral gardens after ballet class on a Saturday afternoon.

• The strange mix of steadiness and vulnerability that can exist at the same time.

• How some conversations linger long after they’re over.

🫖 Prompt: What have you started paying attention to that you might have overlooked a year ago?

What I’m navigating:

• The messy middle of beginning again.

• The emotional layering that can come with new connections, old patterns, and unfamiliar feelings rising to the surface.

• Holding excitement and uncertainty in the same hand.

🫖 Prompt: Where in your life are you learning to hold mixed emotions at the same time?

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Tranquility du Jour

Hi, I’m Kimberly—psychotherapist, author, and host of the Coterie. I’m smitten with my 50s, ballet, snail mail, matcha, and senior pugs. I live in DC with a side of Paris. More at kimberlywilson.com and @tranquilitydujour.

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