What was originally called The Discomfortable Person’s Guide to Self-Acceptance is now out of my hands. It has transformed into Journey to the Ecstatic Self—and is at the mercy of an editor, designer, and typesetter. It is getting dressed for its debutant ball—all gussied and bedazzled and tiara-ed. Soon it will be an entity unto itself—my job inContinue reading “The Bittersweet Pangs of Creation”
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3 Books I Just Finished & am Loving!
I’m a big fan of a book I can dive right into and swirl around with for a few days. Over the past couple of weeks, I have been fortunate to encounter three such books: Evie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes This book is pitched as a romantic comedy—and I suppose it is. MoreContinue reading “3 Books I Just Finished & am Loving!”
The Origins of Bondi
This is why I was inspired to write a story about a young, half-dragon who grows up in a town full of humans. He is the only mythical in his neighborhood, and the other teens are ruthless as they humiliate him day-in and day-out for what he cannot change. Each morning, he binds his wings, tucks his tail in his brief, and tries to disappear. But it’s never good enough.
Advice from a Chicagoan
One of my favorite authors of all time is Mary Schmich. Mary, who? you may be asking. Schmich! She is an editorialist for the Chicago Tribune and won a Pulitzer Prize earlier this decade for her work. Her book of collected essays, “Even the Terrible Things Seem Beautiful to Me Now,” is one of theContinue reading “Advice from a Chicagoan”
Emotions that (Literally!) Change the Shape of your Heart
“Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, and don’t put up with people that are reckless with yours.” —Mary Schmich These words take on new meaning when I watch Dr. Sandeep Jauhar’s TED Talk. As a practicing cardiologist, he knows hearts inside and out. But did you know that your emotional state can actually CHANGEContinue reading “Emotions that (Literally!) Change the Shape of your Heart”
The Power (or Lack-of) Shame
This week I heard a quote by the incomparable Brené Brown that has kept me thinking: “You cannot shame or belittle people into lasting change.” This was first spoken to her by a professor when she was an undergrad. At the time, it didn’t make sense. She thought, but that’s how our society operates. That’s howContinue reading “The Power (or Lack-of) Shame”
Introducing Kaestrouse.com
Greetings! Maybe you’ve come to my site for the first time, or maybe you subscribed to the wellness blog I ran (On The Road to Bliss) from 2016-2018. Either way, I am so glad to be here with you. I have spent the last two years delving into my mission and what I want toContinue reading “Introducing Kaestrouse.com”
FICTION: The Gay Plague
Short Story – 6000 words (20 min read time). By Kaelan Strouse. “Fucking faggot.” I mutter it quiet like, under my breath. I walk past the fool making a spectacle of himself in the town square. Carrying on like that; drawing attention to himself, as if we had nothin’ better to watch than hisContinue reading “FICTION: The Gay Plague”
Let It Go… Bitches!
Today I unpacked the harmonium. For years, nine to be exact, I chanted with a harmonium daily. I would sit in meditation and chant along with the flowing verses of the Guru Gita or other Sanskrit chants. The music would dance around me like the smoke billowing off the incense stick on the alter. ButContinue reading “Let It Go… Bitches!”
Living in the Gray…
I guess it’s part of getting older. We realize all the things we so fervently believed in when we were younger are not entirely true. We haven’t heard the whole story. And the complete picture is more nuanced than we believed. When I was younger, I had a firm fix on what was “Right” andContinue reading “Living in the Gray…”