133 Comments
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Alysia's avatar

I admit I let out a little squeal when I saw this in my inbox 🤣 Welcome back and looking forward to reading and listening again 💜

Candice's avatar

I was walking down the street in town when I opened the email and loudly gasped and yelled "oh it's Brooke!" so now anybody near me at the time thinks I'm insane 🤣 worth it.

Jess's avatar

I did too!!

Lauryssa's avatar

Ditto! I was at work and made an audible gasp!

Ann's avatar

It's so weird, I was just thinking about you last weekend about how I miss your podcast and here you are! Not gonna lie, I'm looking forward to reigniting my parasocial relationship with you even though you have no idea who I am 😅

Melanie's avatar

Can’t believe it Ann & Brooke - I came here to say exactly the same thing!? We must have all manifested it together without knowing 😉 Welcome back Brooke and Ben - so so glad to be able to connect again!! 🤩 xx

Sonal Patel's avatar

Brooke and Ben! - soooooo over-the-moon to hear from you both again.

Just listened to “the tortoise & hare” podcast trailer. Loved how you explain your thoughts - especially the messy middle!

This is unbelievable synchronous and serendipitous timing because I have recently been writing on my Instagram @sonal.wellnessways about “yin and yang”; “feminine and masculine” energy. Being and doing.

DUALITY is reality - and like you said the world often pushes us to extremes in this binary, in a way that is artificial, forced and unhealthy.

I resonate with being in the messy middle and embracing both the tortoise and their hare in the ratio and to the degree that the moment requires of us. I think maybe sometimes we need to be the tortoise and sometimes we need to be the hare.

And we arrive to that choice is in the messy middle. By the way I’m loving your collage creativity as well Brooke, and so happy you have found something that connects you to yourself, in a way that nourishes you and that you also feel excited to express and share with others.

Purpose and creativity, and sharing them abundantly in community, are our lifelines for our inner and interdependent sanctuary!

With love and gratitude from London, UK 🇬🇧 (where I am born, raised and living since 41 years) Sonal 🦋

P.S. my empowerment analogy is the caterpillar and the butterfly…inside the chrysalis is where the magic, miracle and metamorphosis of the messy middle happens!

Transformation, evolution, growth…in the direction that holds meaning to us as individuals.

Not caring what others think as you said, Brooke.

When we are being our authentic selves we are not being too much or too little as you wrote at the end of your latest “we’re back!” blog.

I call it AUTHENTIC AUDACITY. Be who you are. The right people will appreciate your authenticity.

Audacity means actually acting on your authenticity in the real world, daily.

Not hiding. Not shrinking. Not “editing” yourself. Be unfiltered, unfettered, unfeigned.

That was a long “P.S” 🤣 thank you Brooke and to anyone reading if you got to the end. I am mainly on substack to read and haven’t every written on substack so I post on instagram @sonal.wellnessways, if you or anyone else are on there and want to connect.

You have inspired me to explore writing ✍🏼 on Substack by the end of the year, Brooke ! Thank you - it will be a scary learning curve AND I can do it !

Nicola Jones's avatar

Oh so nice to hear from you Brooke, I have often thought about you and hoped you were well.

Please don't feel nervous, I think this community here will support you 100%.

Happy to have you back and looking forward to what's ahead. 😊

Ange's avatar

I literally have not thought about you guys since I last listened to your podcast, and randomly yesterday I thought “wonder what ever happened to them”? I guess I’ll soon find out!

Brooke McAlary's avatar

😆 this made me laugh Ange, and yes! you'll soon find out. so glad you're still here

Maureen Hutchings's avatar

So happy you are back! I have been missing the old pogpast and thinking back to the early days when reading your blog was the most peaceful part of my life with young kids. Your journey makes total sense to me. Yay for healing and yay for not giving a shit and yay that we get to hear from you again!

Tonya S.'s avatar

You arrived in my inbox at the most perfect moment. So excited to listen again! Thank you for being both brave enough and vulnerable enough to share your thoughts with the world again. I have missed you.

Rob's avatar

G'day substack mates !

It's great to see you guys return here.

You've been missed.

Now don't you DARE disappear again from us - ok.

Take care now from this Canadian reader.

See ya again soon...

Ella Aird's avatar

Literally today while I was driving I was thinking.. you know what I need? A nice slow-home style podcast with Aussie accents. Welcome back. Can’t wait to laugh along with you both again!

Sarah's avatar

Given this and all the comments like yours, seems like we conjured them 😂

Brooke McAlary's avatar

It 100% feels like we were conjured, in the best possible way!! 😆

Melinda's avatar

I almost deleted this email. Something stopped me and told me to open it. I am so happy I did. I have missed you. I still read your book Care, as it sits on my nightstand. So glad you’re back!

Daisy Girl's avatar

I was absolutely delighted to receive your email. Missing your views and words of wisdom, I had started re-listening to episodes of the slow home podcast and the tortoise, reading your exciting news was like hearing from a long lost friend.

Michelle Morrison's avatar

Oh Brooke! I am so so happy to hear from you. You’ve been truly missed. Welcome back.

Laura's avatar

So excited to see you pop up in my inbox, I have missed your content and can't wait to see/hear what you have in store!

Marta Pagans's avatar

So happy you're back, I've missed you. ❤️

Amanda’s's avatar

It’s wonderful to have you back - I’ve missed your pogpast and writing. Have a beautiful day.

Helen weaver's avatar

So glad you're back, I've missed you😍