You can't make this shit up!
Don’t miss out! The Mind and Body Workshop is just around the corner on September 21st and 22nd. 2 tickets remain—secure yours before they’re gone!
Hi beautiful friends, I hope this finds you well and feel a tangible love for yourself at this moment.
I’ve got a super busy couple of weeks ahead—more than I’d usually take on as an introvert, but everything is just too wonderful to pass up. This coming weekend, Jed and I are hosting our Mind & Body Writing and Embodiment workshop, and I’m really looking forward to it (we have 2 tickets left if anyone is up for a spontaneous trip to Nashville!). Next week, I’ll be heading to upstate NY for a Faherty and At Your Service event that I’m honored to be part of (more details on that soon). I had the privilege of attending last year, and it’s hard to describe how inspiring those few days were.
Today, I’m off to Oxford, MS, to visit my half-brother, whom we found in 2019. Here's a bit of our story. It turns out my daddy unknowingly fathered a child as a teenager. The woman was shipped away to have the baby and the whole situation was kept a secret. Since Louisiana is a closed adoption state, my half-brother David couldn’t find us. He searched for 26 years, hired two private detectives, and eventually gave up because it was too painful.
David was adopted by a family in Oxford, where I went to college. It’s wild to think that I used to shop at his wife’s store while I was at Ole Miss, and we lived in the same tiny town. The connections we had before meeting are almost unbelievable. We found each other through Ancestry DNA on the anniversary of his oldest son’s accidental death. I truly believe our dad and David’s son (my oldest nephew) had a hand in bringing us together from the other side! It turns out my brother Tim and his family were already close to David’s daughter and even attended her wedding the year before we met. Here’s a bit more about that. The number of connections we had before we knew each other is just incredible.
David and his family have become such a precious part of our lives, filling a gap in our puzzle that we didn’t even know was missing! This Wednesday night, David and I are doing our very first event together in Oxford to promote his brand-new book, A Little Crazy, which is out today! He also has a new podcast by the same name, and we’ll be recording a few episodes together. Since meeting, we’ve realized we share similar gifts and a passion for speaking and helping others heal through all we have learned on our own healing journeys. We’re thrilled that the time has finally come to collaborate, and it feels absolutely right. I know my dad would be so proud of the man David has become and the legacy he’s creating. He’s making a significant impact by helping those struggling with addiction and its challenges. I hope Wednesday night is just the start of many more opportunities to work together. We’re excited to speak on various stages and share the hope, resilience, and redemption that is for everyone, even when life feels like it’s falling apart. We’ve both faced addiction, loss, heartbreak, breakdowns, mental health issues, and a host of other struggles which led us on profound and beautiful healing paths. I’m incredibly grateful that the universe has brought us together and can’t wait to co-create some healing magic with him in the future!
Isn’t life funny? It’s easy to forget sometimes, but I truly believe the universe is always working in our favor. Whenever I lose sight of that, I think back to this story and find my belief in magic renewed once again!
I would love to hear from you where you have seen kismet in your own life. Where have you seen the universe conspiring for your good?
Sending you all so much love, Ruthie
Keep reading for:
Love’s Invitation Monthly Event: Body Blessing
Mind + Body In-Person Workshop
Invitation of Pain In-Person Event
Love’s Invitation Monthly Event: Body Blessing
Allie is a photographer and creator of Ladygroove, where she combines body positivity with artful photography. After overcoming disordered eating and complex PTSD, she developed Ladygroove to help people reconnect with their bodies through a liberating photoshoot experience.
In 2022, she introduced Body Blessing, a pre-shoot ceremony to honor and bring peace to the physical and emotional parts of ourselves. Now back in the States after 14 months of travel, Allie is excited to offer this peace-filled practice to YOU. Join Allie and Ruthie for this month’s event to explore simple, nurturing practices that deepen self-love, bringing only themselves and, if desired, some body oil for a clothed meditation.
This event is exclusively for paid subscribers ($6/month). If you're not yet a paid subscriber, you can subscribe below. Once you've subscribed, return to this post to register for the event. If you're already a paid subscriber, you'll find the registration link at the bottom of this newsletter.
In-Person Mind + Body Workshop
Jed and Ruthie are teaming up in Nashville, Tennessee from September 21st to the 22nd for a weekend writing and embodiment workshop.
The 2024 Mind and Body Workshop will focus on addressing our past, present, and future, as well as understanding what our bodies are telling us about it. Click the link below to learn more and purchase your ticket!
The Invitation of Pain In-Person Event
When we experience pain, we are instructed to medicalize our pain to make it go away. We learn to see our bodies as the enemy and forget the identity outside of the pain. But we can learn to experience and understand pain differently, even coming to see pain as the route back home to who we really are. In this way, the pain becomes the invitation back to our bodily selves - reminding us how to love ourselves more fully, teaching us that we can heal regardless of whether the pain goes away or not.
Explore a new perspective on pain with Ruthie Lindsey and Hillary McBride. On November 16th, 2024, this event in Nashville offers a chance to rethink how you relate to pain and discover new pathways to wellness. Connecting with ourselves through our bodies is valuable, and experiencing this together in person can enhance that connection to another level. We hope you’ll join us for this meaningful experience. Click the link below to learn more about this event and purchase your ticket.