5SmartReads

1 week ago | hitha.substack.com | Hitha Palepu

#5SmartReads is a Webby-honored weekly news digest that amplifies underreported news and underrepresented perspectives. My goal is to help you stay informed without being overwhelmed, and to embrace nuance and reflection over picking a side. A Day With One Abortion Pill Prescriber (New York Times)gift linkMotherhood has changed me. It’s softened me, made me stronger and more flexible, and and has brought a chaotic joy into my life. It’s also made me more ardently pro-choice.

1 week ago | hitha.substack.com | Hitha Palepu

There’s something about summer that softens me a bit. I slow down (well, I try to). I make a bucket list of things I want to do (though they’ve gotten shorter and less ambitious as I get older). I curate little things that spark joy - a fixation outfit, a happy playlist, and diving into the shows and books I’ve been saving for this specific season. I’m following ’s lead on manifesting summer based on a mood (mine is peaceful). I’m taking a page from ’s book and have a minimal bucket list.

2 weeks ago | hitha.substack.com | Hitha Palepu

Aah, anxiety. My old friend. My plate is full with the end of the school year (a challenging one for my eldest), packing and prepping the kids for new camps, launching a huge critical path action at work, and managing my dad’s medical appointments. Naturally, my anxiety decided to pay me a visit. And because we don’t gatekeep, here are the little things I do to survive my anxiety spells:A ‘little things’ to do list.

3 weeks ago | hitha.substack.com | Hitha Palepu

There’s a Gloria Steinem quote that I think a lot about (and have tried to live by as a mom):“Though we have the courage to raise our daughters more like our sons, we've rarely had the courage to raise our sons like our daughters.”I felt like we’ve done a pretty good job of this, from when the kids were born to elementary school age. But as my kids get older (especially my eldest), it’s getting harder.

1 month ago | hitha.substack.com | Hitha Palepu

I took two trips this week (a family reunion in Vancouver, a day trip to DC to meet an investor). It got me thinking about my many opinions about packing, and travel in general:I rarely use packing cubes. The only times I use them are for a multi-city trip, or when I’m packing my kids. I’m a self-proclaimed slutty packer - I roll some items, fold others, and stuff my underwear and socks into whatever nooks and crannies are left between my larger items.