Newsletter for Tuesday April 14, 2026

Finding Myself in Amsterdam

A journey into solitude, healing, and rediscovering my own voice

Hello, my friends.

I’m writing to you this week from Amsterdam, where I’ve been on a solo trip that has already changed me in ways I didn’t expect. The city is beautiful, of course — the canals, the bikes, the soft hum of life happening all around me — but the real journey has been happening inside.

For the first time in a long time, I’m traveling alone. And I’ll be honest: at first, it felt strange and uncomfortable. After spending the last three decades listening to other people — their thoughts, their needs, their opinions — I realized how much of my own voice had been drowned out. Somewhere along the way, my originality and authenticity faded into the background.

The first 48 hours here were a reset. I had to relearn how to trust my own mind. I had to remember that I am never truly alone. God is with me. The Blessed Mother is with me. My guardian angels are with me. That truth gave me permission to slow down, breathe, walk, think, and listen to the quiet voice inside that I had ignored for far too long.

Life changes in ways we don’t always see coming. When you’ve spent years with someone and that chapter ends, there’s a strange emptiness that follows. And motherhood — oh, motherhood. You pour your entire heart into raising your children, guiding them, loving them, and then one day they grow up and fly away. Suddenly you’re standing there thinking, “That job is done. Now what?”

I’m incredibly proud of my three children. They’re out in the world living their own lives, and I love watching them soar. But as they move forward, I’ve had to ask myself a new question: Where am I going?

This trip is part of that answer. It’s an opportunity for growth — and growth is good. We either evolve or we stay stuck in old patterns. Sometimes we need distance from everything familiar to rediscover who we truly are.

A big part of that rediscovery is tending to our inner child. We all carry experiences, wounds, and memories that shape us. Before we can move forward, we have to acknowledge them. Who wants to drag around an old backpack filled with emotional garbage from yesterday — or from an entire lifetime? Not me.

I’ve been blessed to find people who helped me look at my past with compassion instead of shame. They helped me see that my experiences didn’t break me; they shaped me. They strengthened me. What doesn’t kill us really can make us stronger.

Today I heard something that struck me deeply:
Hurry and worry both come from fear.

I carried so much worry for so many years. And hurry? I’ve been late to my own life more times than I can count. But now, I’m slowing down. I’m learning who I am, what drives me, and how to heal the parts of me that have been hurting quietly for years. Shame, regret, remorse — they don’t get to run the show anymore.

And here’s the truth I’m discovering:
I’m okay. And you’re okay too.

Before I go, a quick practical note — this newsletter is days late because my computer screen cracked during my travels. If you have a Mac, let me tell you: AppleCare is worth every penny. My computer is already repaired and ready for the next leg of this journey.

Wherever you are today, whatever chapter you’re in, whatever you’re carrying:

You are not alone.

With love,
Elizabeth