Holly K. Oxhandler's Blog

Hi friend,

I hope this note finds you breathing into a bit of peace right now, mindful of how far peace may feel these days for many of us and for so many reasons — personally, professionally, locally, globally. I’m starting this newsletter from my bed on a Thursday, 2 days out from a positive COVID test, with just enough energy to tap away at my computer, respond to essential emails, and complete a handful of pressing tasks. Otherwise, I’ve been honoring this need for deep rest and recovery.

The...

Hi friend,

I hope this finds you feeling a sense of deep peace on this Sunday before the holiday break. My family and I are headed to my husband’s family’s house for Thanksgiving Christmas. (For context, I started this newsletter in October, returned to it twice in November, including on our drive to visit them for Thanksgiving, and am committed to sending it out by the end of the evening — please forgive any imperfections.)

Beside us on the drive, there’s a field of cows grazing across these gor...

Happy Tuesday, friends!

I’m so excited to share with each of you that The Soul of the Helper is launching into the world THIS WEEK with a beautiful new paperback cover!! 😍 Goodness, I love love love the feel of this book and am so excited to see it in paperback! (Here’s a little video of me sharing my excitement on Saturday when the book arrived!)

This is a *perfect* time of year to jump into these seven stages to seeing the Sacred within yourself as you serve others, especially before the holiday...

Hi friend,

I hope this finds you breathing in some peace in this moment. It’s been a while since I’ve written — four months, in fact. During my last email in late May, we were crossing the finish line of a full academic year, and I was between traveling, ending a full semester, and grieving the death of a beloved mentor. I tried writing/editing this email in July, then August, then early September… and kept listening to a deeper nudge to pause and wait.

This summer was good *and* there was a deep ...

Hi friend,

We’ve just about (or for some, have finally) made it to the end of the school year.

Oh, friend…

Whether you’re a parent, educator, school staff member, coach, therapist, or somehow connected to the wildness of May in the academic year rhythms, you are in my heart these days as we collectively move through this final week of May.

I’ll add some resources below, but instead of my typical monthly reflections, I’m jumping straight to prayer and some tender hope… because sometimes that’s jus...

Hi friend,

May peace be with you in the gift of this moment.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been finding a deep need to return to my practice of tuning in, checking in with the
thoughts within my mind,
emotions within my heart, and
sensations within my body.

There have been a lot of transitions — some positive, some negative, and some neither good nor bad. My soul, which is continuing to learn to operate at a slower, more sustainable pace, is doing its best to keep up and remain present to what’s un...

Hi friend,

Happy February… March! :) Keeping with the theme I wrote about in January on moving a bit slowly into the new year, February required me to set this newsletter down to tend to other priorities. And so, as I look to a fresh month, I’m taking a deep breath with hope for some rest, play, and turning toward tasks that needed to be set aside.

I hope you’re also able to take a deep breath with me and that your month is off to a peaceful start.

Today, not only am I celebrating Women’s History ...

Hi friend,

Happy new year to you and your loved ones. My heart is so full in this moment, grateful for another day, another month, another year. In previous years, I would burst onto January 1st with tons of energy, ready to tackle a new year with a desire to do allthethings(andthensome) … but some of this sneaky desire for control, masked as overnight goals and ambitions (95% of which were very temporary), seems to be falling by the wayside this year.

I don’t think it’s bad or wrong to burst int...

Hi friend,

I imagine this little note coming to your inbox between several emails with holiday discounts, FOMO-tugging sales, and subtle or not-so-subtle messages to purchase more, more, more for a million and one reasons.

Instead of pushing presents, this month, I want to invite us into grounded presence within the gift of this unpromised moment in this unpromised day, and all of the twists, turns, signs, dust, and cracks it holds…

Breathe in . . . .
Breathe out . . . . . .
Breathe in . . . .
Bre...

Hi friend,

I hope this month’s note is meeting you in a moment of groundedness and maybe even some comforting stillness after what has seemed like a whirlwind of a month.

I also want to take a moment on this World Gratitude Day to offer a wholehearted thank you for your presence, beloved. 💛

My first draft of this newsletter began in late August, reflecting upon the gift of a long overdue rainstorm that ended in a jaw-dropping, miraculous rainbow. Just before I tucked the kids into bed on 8/27, I lo...