Gratitude

The Curated coat (similar)
Sezane sweater
Zara jeans (similar)
Rouje boots (similar)
Sezane handbag
Rayban sunglasses
Linjer rings (c/o) (similar)
Location: The Manitoba Legislature – Winnipeg, Manitoba

There are some words you can never say too often; some thoughts that bear repeating over and over again, even if everyone around you is already heard them. I love you. I’m sorry. Thank-you. You never know when you might get another chance to say those things, which makes it important never to miss an opportunity.

I live in fear of being repetitive, particularly in my writing. Too often, I succumb to the desire to edit and revise endlessly. I search compulsively for synonyms to avoid ever using the same word twice in a single paragraph. I don’t want my work to be dull. But there are certain exceptions I am always willing to make, both in life and in print. If I’ve done something that feels wrong, failed to honour a commitment or upset someone, regardless of my intentions, I always apologise. Twice, usually, for good measure. It costs me nothing, but to the person on the receiving end of the apology, it can make an enormous difference.

Similarly, I always express gratitude – even, or rather especially, for small things. I’m that annoying person at work who sends an unnecessary thank-you so much! email to end every exchange. And I know that kind of inbox clutter makes some of the recipients a little bit crazy, but to lots of other people, it means a lot. A lot of jobs are pretty thankless – frankly, a lot of life can be, too. Those little gratitude emails might be the only recognition that someone receives in a day, and when I think about it like that, they suddenly become pretty essential. In fact, I wish I could send more of them.

Today, I want to send the equivalent of one of those emails to all of you. I am so grateful for each and every single one of you. Some of you have kept coming back here, two to three times a week, for over a decade to see what I’m wearing and read my often hastily cobbled together thoughts. (That you continue to take time out of your day for me is truly touching. It does not go unnoticed or unappreciated.) Just as many of you are still very new. You’ve found your way to this space via Instagram or a Google search about Sezane, but you’ve kept coming back. After all this time, I count a significant number of you among my real time friends, and my life is infinitely richer for it.

It takes work to keep Coco & Vera running, there’s no question about it. The planning, the styling, the photography, the editing, the writing… it’s almost all me. I need to show up, be willing to put myself out there constantly and consistently. I’m penning this gratitude missive today because the fact is, I think I get as much, if not more, from all of you than I put in. I feel able to keep coming back, to keep being vulnerable and broaching difficult subjects because this is such a safe space. You are my constant supporters and cheerleaders, not to mention my confidantes. After the past three weeks in particular, I know there is nothing I can’t tell you that won’t be met with such expansive kindness that I feel almost unequal to it. Thank-you.

No, seriously –

Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you.

I’ve devoted my whole life to writing and languages. But still, somehow, I can’t find enough words to properly convey the enormity of the gratitude I feel for each and every one of you. So instead, I’ll simply be repetitive: thank-you.

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