In early December, 2023, my daughter Alex and her girlfriend Morgan were in town for a wedding. Our dear friend Iva and her beautiful mother Nadia also came for a visit. Alex said, “Iva, you should be on Liz Gilbert’s Letters From Love!” Iva replied with a wink, “December 24th!”
This was the first time I’d heard of Liz’s new venture on Substack, which Liz had started a few months earlier. Alex had recently seen Liz in Denver on her Big Magic tour and knew all about Liz’s Letters From Love project.
Seventeen years ago, Liz stopped in Indianapolis on her EAT PRAY LOVE book tour, and I attended a brunch the morning after her main lecture. My youngest, Jake, was a year old and it was nearly impossible for me to break away from my three kids the prior evening. The brunch was lovely and intimate, and not only did I meet the incredible Liz Gilbert, I also had the pleasure of meeting a glowing, magical goddess in human form named Iva Nasr.
Iva is the friend that Liz accurately describes as having “a bat phone to the universe” in her best-selling memoir. Iva and I instantly became close friends. I have interviewed Iva twice on my podcasts, the most recent features Iva and her friend Rose discussing peace in a time of war (Rose lives in Jerusalem, Iva experienced war first hand as a child in Beirut). Liz listened to this podcast episode and engaged Iva and Rose to contribute their voices from Love.
The gist of Letters From Love is to write from a space of unconditional love. Liz began her healing practice of journaling unconditional love over 25 years ago. The online platform Substack has a paywall which keeps out the trolls and protects the community of “lovelets”. Subscribers who share their own letters from love in the comments of the weekly featured letter are writing and sharing loving, supportive letters to themselves. Many are writing the words they have longed to hear — so why not a letter to self? Some are channeled sentiments of love. Some originate from a deep place within which seeks a stronger voice in their daily life. All are encouraging and inspiring. All are brave. All are from Love.
Each week on Liz’s Substack, she shares a nuanced theme and prompt. Prior to Liz’s formal ask (of me to be her guest), I awoke on a Friday morning to a Letter From Love being dictated to me in my head. It was the opposite of a rude awakening, yet the voice of my download was a bit bossy. The words were flowing and Love interrupted herself and said, “Are you writing this down?! You need to write this down!” I obeyed. After the download (while still in bed), I handed my letter to Adam to read. He asked, “This is great! When did you write this?” I explained it simply “came to me” moments earlier. A couple hours later, I sent Iva a text and informed her that my Letter From Love had been shared with me. A few minutes later, I received Liz’s email formally asking me to be her guest.
My initial date for publication was bumped up to Mother’s Day. Liz dubbed it, “The Mother of all Love Letters.”
You may view my video and letter after subscribing to Elizabeth Gilbert’s Letters From Love on Substack. You can also follow me on all social media outlets, including Substack.
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