How do I even make sense of this summer?

Reflections on three months of high highs and low lows

Summer 2024 has been a lot. Lovely, scary, comfortable, challenging… pick your favorite adjective. It probably also applies.

My two main freelance clients both decreased their budgets; I finally braved my first cold publication pitches (and heard back from more than half of them) to snag my biggest bylines yet. Lightning canceled the concert we originally came home for at the very last minute; we were still able to sing along in the gorgeous evening air two months later.

Scout’s had more frequent seizures than usual; she’s otherwise easier to live with than ever. We had our worst encounter with another dog owner; I hung out with several animal-obsessed friends. Strangers on the internet have been unkind; I decided to move our blog to Substack which, despite being a work in progress, still brings me outsized relief.

We lost my childhood cat; my niece loves my dog—and we’ve spent so much quality time with her. My grandfather had a heart attack; my sister-in-law got married. My mom’s rheuma…