Alex knowing this part of your past has made me care even more about your life and what your heart and soul lived through. So much has happened in your life that both astounds me and allows me to trust you more than ever. Your open honest telling of what you have gone through from such a young age and forward is a story more people need to hear. I look at you now and say wow look how far you have come. I am so very grateful that Substack allowed our friendship to connect. You are now and will continue to be my inspiration. Thank you for sharing this. @Jeannie Ewing thank you as well for sharing this collaboration. You have done a great deed for people like myself. ❤️🌼
Kathy - thank you for taking some time out of your day to read and respond. I so appreciate your support and friendship. I'm so grateful for you!
I have had a.. well.. interesting life. Haha! I have been through quite a bit, which I think has made me quite an interesting person. So I'll just be grateful for the experiences 😉
It has given me a complicated relationship with religion, but I truly appreciate what it has done for me, especially over the past decade. It has pushed me to come to terms with my trauma and, in the process, learn (and relearn) empathy and compassion for everyone. No matter their beliefs. In a way, it's taught me to look past everything and search for who a person truly is.
I still fail at that from time to time; I am only human. But, I feel like I get it right more often than not. And for that, I will always be grateful. 🩵
I think you are a highly compassionate person, Alex. And I was just explaining to another friend of mine yesterday that I think everyone has a complicated relationship with religion. It's so intimate and personal, just like sexuality/reproduction (which I wrote about in my memoir). That's just indicative of maturity, I think - the ability to recognize nuance and to allow others room for their lived experience, to welcome them as they are without trying to change who they are. ♥️
I think that is all very true! I was going to try and write a really nuanced response, but I have nothing more depthy to say - I simply agree with everything you shared here :)
Kathy, this is such a heartfelt comment and it's exactly why I encouraged Alex to not be afraid of sharing his story. It's a brave thing for any of us to do, and I believe Alex paved the way for more of us to find ways to use our voices in brave storytelling of our own. I'm glad to provide a safe space here on my Substack where all feel welcomed, seen, heard, and valued, because that's truly how I feel about people everywhere. ❤️
You only need one opportunity. What a powerful reminder to all of us who are in a position to give opportunity and for those of us who feel like we're in a position where there are none. One feels like a doable number, like a conceivable feat. One also feels like a small thing to give, to extend. Thank you for sharing your story and for reminding us that "one" is possible for all of us. 💖
Thank you, Jess, for reading, and for calling out this part of the article. One is doable. It’s magical. It’s available. And I love the word you use, conceivable. One makes it hopeful 🩵
Alex, I’m honored to get a glimpse into your backstory—thank you so much for sharing it. And Jeannie, grateful to you for providing the space. What a fantastic pairing you two make.
Thank you, Erin, for being here and also being willing to read it and respond to it! It’s a bit heavy! But it is also a part of me, and I’m getting better at sharing it. 🩵
Powerful tale Alex- thank you for sharing this with us on here!
Two things come to mind that I think you've really embodied here- what Richard Rohr refers to "transcending but including" such experiences and also, that in the down times, you didn't let such experiences define you. I found your story to be spiritually nourishing- thanks so much again for sharing.
Thanks so much for stopping by, David, and for supporting Alex and his journey. I'm glad you mentioned Richard Rohr, because I do see the connection here. Lovely having you with us.
Lovely being with you both & thanks for creating such a special space for ideas.
So glad the idea from Richard resonates and sparked interest as well. His book "falling upwards" is one of a few audiobooks i have been able to make it all the way through on. def a gem!
Thank you, David! I appreciate your response, and I love what you added here. I don’t know much about Richard Rohr, so I really appreciate the reference. What I have been able to dig into thus far has been very interesting!
Alex, your bravery, light, and wisdom shine through in this piece with such power. I agree that it's all about plasticity and resoluteness--being able to mold and remold ourselves in the face of circumstances, but also having a core identity that doesn't melt down or disappear. Thank you for giving us a glimpse at the core of who you are and the form its been shaped into through your experiences. The world is richer for your presence!
Thank you, my friend, for your kind and supportive note. Molding ourselves isn’t comfortable. Remolding ourselves is probably worse. But we can become just about anything when we lean into the process.
I appreciate you. I feel like while maybe, yes, the world is richer, I also feel richer because the world is now fully present within me. 🩵
I hear such self-compassion and love in your words, “While maybe, yes, the world is richer, I also feel richer because the world is now fully present within me.”
Wow. I am new to reading your words, Alex, but as is everything I have read so far from you, this is powerful stuff. The images produced in my mind, and the feelings bubbling around in my heart, have been stirred up by your stark portrayal of an almost (to me) unbelievable situation. Inspiration is there in every little action taken or thought noticed. Thank you for your honesty,
Thank you, Jane. This one was difficult for me to write. Many breaks. Lots of editing. And it was so worth it. I so glad it resonated with you, and that you were then able to read my other essay too. I feel like they were worked really well together. 🩵
Just this comment is teaching me something. To take my time crafting. To take breaks. To be kind to myself. And practically, to link to other relevant articles. Have a great day!
"Two qualities I admire most are plasticity and resoluteness. Plasticity is about being shaped by life’s challenges—accepting that you’ll never quite go back to who you were, and understanding there’s growth hidden in that change. Then there’s resoluteness, which reminds me of a tenacious little plant pushing up through a crack in the pavement. It’s about persisting, even when life stacks every odd against you."
My homelessness was nothing like yours. And yet, I still had to embrace both of these concepts as my lifeline. I had to realize that I could never ever go back to what I was before, and that regrowth into something new is not easy. I also had to tap into that part of me that knew this wasn't forever, unless I chose it to be...and every single day take steps to get out of the circumstances I was in.
I too, didn't trust that I could ask for help. I had learned that people expect me to always be the put together one. I ended up getting help from people who didn't know that about me, which taught me to learn how to accept and receive support.
I adore you Alex. Your story here is something so many people experience and don't often share.
I think there is a certain magic in embracing the concept of plasticity. I love it thought as a lifeline. It is a chance, an opportunity, to lean into a challenging circumstance and accept being molded a little differently. It doesn't mean we lose who we are, I think it can enhance who we are.
There was every chance that I could have become a very hateful person after this experience. And I did have to work through anger and quite a variety of other patterns. That is just part of the process. But I think some of that comes from not accepting plasticity, and not accepting the experience, and fighting it. When we accept there is growth in change, and that there is also loss in change, we can better arrive at who we are meant to be.
I appreciate you sharing a bit more about your journey. I'd love to hear more about yours when you are available to share. We will have lots of opportunities throughout this year!
I appreciate you sharing a bit more here, Alex, about what you had to work through on the inside. I’ve never considered that maybe anger might be related to resisting the concept of plasticity, but that is a huge insight for me today. I have always battled anger, sometimes rage, within me. And I do understand that it’s not “bad” but is trying to tell me something, to point to something I need to attend to. Maybe it’s also about surrender and yielding to the growth spurts that happen and can be painful.
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad that looking through this lens is useful. For me, learning surrender, particularly to change (and the concept of plasticity) has been the greatest relief to my anger.
Oh there is so much here that I love. I am going to bed for the night, but I’m going to be back tomorrow with an even more detailed comment. But for now, know how grateful I am for you, and how knowing that there are similarities in our story makes me just love you more! 🩵
Wow, Teri Leigh, thank you for sharing that about your own story, too. I find there are always pieces of our lives that connect with other people. Always.
I know you are one of Alex's biggest champions. So wonderful to see all the support and love he's received from this piece!
Sometimes when I read / hear about people’s childhood I wonder how we ever survive them… as a parent now, it’s particularly sad for me to read that children could be just thrown into the street, and for what? I wasn’t thrown out, but was sent to a kibbutz. I would never do this to my children. I wish I could give young Alexander a big hug and tell him he had done nothing wrong. What an incredible human being you are!
Thank you, Imola! Younger Alex appreciates the hug greatly!
I sometimes also wonder how we survive our childhoods. I mean, the sheer amount of often crazy things we do in childhood. But we are hardy as children. Resilient. Adaptable. Thank you for your words and for reading 🩵
Imola, I thought about this, too, as a mom, when I first read Alex's story: "How can a mother forget her child and reject him like this?" I cannot think of a reason I would abandon my children, and this part of Alex's story really gutted me. It pricked my maternal instincts.
But you're right about how we survive our childhoods. I think it's ingrained in the human heart to find a way to survive. Alex, in his brave rendering, reminds us of that.
Thank you for sharing your story Alex! And thank you Jeannie! Alex, your story is so inspiring and a wonderful reminder that we can change course and rebuild our life!
Thank you for being here, Sam, and for your support of Alex and his vulnerable sharing. I'm honored to provide a space where people can share what resilience means to them.
Thank you so much, Alex, for sharing a part of your life that is so deeply personal and traumatic. I so appreciate your candor and ability to show your vulnerability. My heart ached for you while reading this, and I feel so glad you were able to tap into your inner resilience to change the trajectory of your life.
This is a brave piece, and I'm so grateful and honored to have read it.
Thank you, Jeannie, for providing the space for this poignant essay.
Beth - thank you for your meaningful comment. I’m grateful that you took time to read and share. It was a vulnerable essay to write! But I’m really glad I did. It was a moment in my life that changed me forever. Not recommended, but also, I wouldn’t change anything. 🩵
I hope so! Healing is possible. It is a long journey. It is hard. It is involved. It requires other people. It cannot be done alone. We need each other as part of the process. But it is possible. And it makes life better.
Dear Alex, your effervescent personality, which now shines thru every word you write, survived such a brutal childhood. I applaud your resilience. And I agree that it is built from being smashed into the pavement and refusing to stay down. Brava!
Thank you for this. Uplifting and inspirational and a reminder that we never truly understand where each other comes from until the back story is told. Great read.
Absolutely, I find that pieces like this inspire me, every day. This one inspired me to dip back into something I'd been thinking about and cleared up some thoughts for me. In fact, my piece today I owe to reading this. It is me that should be thanking you guys, and I do.
I'm so happy to see the loving support here for Alex, and all are familiar names. Maybe we are forming a circle of friendship, however corny that sounds as I type it.
Alex knowing this part of your past has made me care even more about your life and what your heart and soul lived through. So much has happened in your life that both astounds me and allows me to trust you more than ever. Your open honest telling of what you have gone through from such a young age and forward is a story more people need to hear. I look at you now and say wow look how far you have come. I am so very grateful that Substack allowed our friendship to connect. You are now and will continue to be my inspiration. Thank you for sharing this. @Jeannie Ewing thank you as well for sharing this collaboration. You have done a great deed for people like myself. ❤️🌼
Kathy - thank you for taking some time out of your day to read and respond. I so appreciate your support and friendship. I'm so grateful for you!
I have had a.. well.. interesting life. Haha! I have been through quite a bit, which I think has made me quite an interesting person. So I'll just be grateful for the experiences 😉
It has given me a complicated relationship with religion, but I truly appreciate what it has done for me, especially over the past decade. It has pushed me to come to terms with my trauma and, in the process, learn (and relearn) empathy and compassion for everyone. No matter their beliefs. In a way, it's taught me to look past everything and search for who a person truly is.
I still fail at that from time to time; I am only human. But, I feel like I get it right more often than not. And for that, I will always be grateful. 🩵
I think you are a highly compassionate person, Alex. And I was just explaining to another friend of mine yesterday that I think everyone has a complicated relationship with religion. It's so intimate and personal, just like sexuality/reproduction (which I wrote about in my memoir). That's just indicative of maturity, I think - the ability to recognize nuance and to allow others room for their lived experience, to welcome them as they are without trying to change who they are. ♥️
I think that is all very true! I was going to try and write a really nuanced response, but I have nothing more depthy to say - I simply agree with everything you shared here :)
❤️🌼
❤️🌼
Kathy, this is such a heartfelt comment and it's exactly why I encouraged Alex to not be afraid of sharing his story. It's a brave thing for any of us to do, and I believe Alex paved the way for more of us to find ways to use our voices in brave storytelling of our own. I'm glad to provide a safe space here on my Substack where all feel welcomed, seen, heard, and valued, because that's truly how I feel about people everywhere. ❤️
❤️
You only need one opportunity. What a powerful reminder to all of us who are in a position to give opportunity and for those of us who feel like we're in a position where there are none. One feels like a doable number, like a conceivable feat. One also feels like a small thing to give, to extend. Thank you for sharing your story and for reminding us that "one" is possible for all of us. 💖
Thank you, Jess, for reading, and for calling out this part of the article. One is doable. It’s magical. It’s available. And I love the word you use, conceivable. One makes it hopeful 🩵
And Lawd, don’t we’re all need a little more hope. 💫
Absolutely!
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments, as always, Jess!
Alex, I’m honored to get a glimpse into your backstory—thank you so much for sharing it. And Jeannie, grateful to you for providing the space. What a fantastic pairing you two make.
Thank you, Erin, for being here and also being willing to read it and respond to it! It’s a bit heavy! But it is also a part of me, and I’m getting better at sharing it. 🩵
I don't think it's heavy at all, Alex. I think it's honest.
You are right - it is honest. Thank you for keeping this reframed the way I should 🩵 I appreciate you and your support.
That's such a lovely observation, Erin. Glad to be here with both you and Alex and the incredible people I have met on Substack.
Powerful tale Alex- thank you for sharing this with us on here!
Two things come to mind that I think you've really embodied here- what Richard Rohr refers to "transcending but including" such experiences and also, that in the down times, you didn't let such experiences define you. I found your story to be spiritually nourishing- thanks so much again for sharing.
Thanks so much for stopping by, David, and for supporting Alex and his journey. I'm glad you mentioned Richard Rohr, because I do see the connection here. Lovely having you with us.
Lovely being with you both & thanks for creating such a special space for ideas.
So glad the idea from Richard resonates and sparked interest as well. His book "falling upwards" is one of a few audiobooks i have been able to make it all the way through on. def a gem!
Thank you for the recommendation! I appreciate it! I never know where to start, so it’s always helpful.
I'll have to add it to my "to-read" list, David. I just finished CHERISHED BELONGING from Gregory Boyle.
Ah that book looks really illuminating as well! Were there any key takeaways or breakthroughs you gleaned from it? 🙏
Absolutely, David. I can dig up my notes and share maybe in a different post or on Notes.
Thank you, David! I appreciate your response, and I love what you added here. I don’t know much about Richard Rohr, so I really appreciate the reference. What I have been able to dig into thus far has been very interesting!
I love this piece of writing. You have a lot of grit and I have to say I admire that a lot I will repost thank you.
Thanks, Denise. I’m so glad that this article resonated with you 🩵
Alex, your bravery, light, and wisdom shine through in this piece with such power. I agree that it's all about plasticity and resoluteness--being able to mold and remold ourselves in the face of circumstances, but also having a core identity that doesn't melt down or disappear. Thank you for giving us a glimpse at the core of who you are and the form its been shaped into through your experiences. The world is richer for your presence!
Thank you, my friend, for your kind and supportive note. Molding ourselves isn’t comfortable. Remolding ourselves is probably worse. But we can become just about anything when we lean into the process.
I appreciate you. I feel like while maybe, yes, the world is richer, I also feel richer because the world is now fully present within me. 🩵
I hear such self-compassion and love in your words, “While maybe, yes, the world is richer, I also feel richer because the world is now fully present within me.”
Beautifully said, Alex! For me, that inner richness is worth the cost of the growth.
Wow. I am new to reading your words, Alex, but as is everything I have read so far from you, this is powerful stuff. The images produced in my mind, and the feelings bubbling around in my heart, have been stirred up by your stark portrayal of an almost (to me) unbelievable situation. Inspiration is there in every little action taken or thought noticed. Thank you for your honesty,
Thank you, Jane. This one was difficult for me to write. Many breaks. Lots of editing. And it was so worth it. I so glad it resonated with you, and that you were then able to read my other essay too. I feel like they were worked really well together. 🩵
Just this comment is teaching me something. To take my time crafting. To take breaks. To be kind to myself. And practically, to link to other relevant articles. Have a great day!
That’s a lovely insight, Jane!
Thanks for being here to support Alex, Jane!
This.
"Two qualities I admire most are plasticity and resoluteness. Plasticity is about being shaped by life’s challenges—accepting that you’ll never quite go back to who you were, and understanding there’s growth hidden in that change. Then there’s resoluteness, which reminds me of a tenacious little plant pushing up through a crack in the pavement. It’s about persisting, even when life stacks every odd against you."
My homelessness was nothing like yours. And yet, I still had to embrace both of these concepts as my lifeline. I had to realize that I could never ever go back to what I was before, and that regrowth into something new is not easy. I also had to tap into that part of me that knew this wasn't forever, unless I chose it to be...and every single day take steps to get out of the circumstances I was in.
I too, didn't trust that I could ask for help. I had learned that people expect me to always be the put together one. I ended up getting help from people who didn't know that about me, which taught me to learn how to accept and receive support.
I adore you Alex. Your story here is something so many people experience and don't often share.
I think there is a certain magic in embracing the concept of plasticity. I love it thought as a lifeline. It is a chance, an opportunity, to lean into a challenging circumstance and accept being molded a little differently. It doesn't mean we lose who we are, I think it can enhance who we are.
There was every chance that I could have become a very hateful person after this experience. And I did have to work through anger and quite a variety of other patterns. That is just part of the process. But I think some of that comes from not accepting plasticity, and not accepting the experience, and fighting it. When we accept there is growth in change, and that there is also loss in change, we can better arrive at who we are meant to be.
I appreciate you sharing a bit more about your journey. I'd love to hear more about yours when you are available to share. We will have lots of opportunities throughout this year!
I appreciate you sharing a bit more here, Alex, about what you had to work through on the inside. I’ve never considered that maybe anger might be related to resisting the concept of plasticity, but that is a huge insight for me today. I have always battled anger, sometimes rage, within me. And I do understand that it’s not “bad” but is trying to tell me something, to point to something I need to attend to. Maybe it’s also about surrender and yielding to the growth spurts that happen and can be painful.
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad that looking through this lens is useful. For me, learning surrender, particularly to change (and the concept of plasticity) has been the greatest relief to my anger.
Oh there is so much here that I love. I am going to bed for the night, but I’m going to be back tomorrow with an even more detailed comment. But for now, know how grateful I am for you, and how knowing that there are similarities in our story makes me just love you more! 🩵
Wow, Teri Leigh, thank you for sharing that about your own story, too. I find there are always pieces of our lives that connect with other people. Always.
I know you are one of Alex's biggest champions. So wonderful to see all the support and love he's received from this piece!
Sometimes when I read / hear about people’s childhood I wonder how we ever survive them… as a parent now, it’s particularly sad for me to read that children could be just thrown into the street, and for what? I wasn’t thrown out, but was sent to a kibbutz. I would never do this to my children. I wish I could give young Alexander a big hug and tell him he had done nothing wrong. What an incredible human being you are!
Thank you, Imola! Younger Alex appreciates the hug greatly!
I sometimes also wonder how we survive our childhoods. I mean, the sheer amount of often crazy things we do in childhood. But we are hardy as children. Resilient. Adaptable. Thank you for your words and for reading 🩵
You’re so right. I see this with my own daughters. They are incredible. À big hug to older Alex as well.
I bet they are incredible!
Thank you, Imola. I think older Alex needed the hug too. Haha!
Imola, I thought about this, too, as a mom, when I first read Alex's story: "How can a mother forget her child and reject him like this?" I cannot think of a reason I would abandon my children, and this part of Alex's story really gutted me. It pricked my maternal instincts.
But you're right about how we survive our childhoods. I think it's ingrained in the human heart to find a way to survive. Alex, in his brave rendering, reminds us of that.
Thank you so much for being here, Imola.
Thank you for sharing your story Alex! And thank you Jeannie! Alex, your story is so inspiring and a wonderful reminder that we can change course and rebuild our life!
Thank you, Nancy, for your kind story. We can change course and rebuild! Even when it feels hopeless. 🩵
Thanks so much for your affirmation for Alex, Nancy!
I'm in awe of your journey Alex. Thank you for sharing your story. I'm incredibly humbled.
What a powerful space you've created Jeannie. I'm glad to have stumbled upon it.
Sam, your comment means a lot to me. Thank you for reading and sharing. I truly appreciate it. 🩵
Thank you for being here, Sam, and for your support of Alex and his vulnerable sharing. I'm honored to provide a space where people can share what resilience means to them.
Thank you so much, Alex, for sharing a part of your life that is so deeply personal and traumatic. I so appreciate your candor and ability to show your vulnerability. My heart ached for you while reading this, and I feel so glad you were able to tap into your inner resilience to change the trajectory of your life.
This is a brave piece, and I'm so grateful and honored to have read it.
Thank you, Jeannie, for providing the space for this poignant essay.
Beth - thank you for your meaningful comment. I’m grateful that you took time to read and share. It was a vulnerable essay to write! But I’m really glad I did. It was a moment in my life that changed me forever. Not recommended, but also, I wouldn’t change anything. 🩵
I agree with Beth that this is a "brave piece," Alex.
And in writing this, you may be helping others in the midst of trauma themselves. Thank you.
I hope so! Healing is possible. It is a long journey. It is hard. It is involved. It requires other people. It cannot be done alone. We need each other as part of the process. But it is possible. And it makes life better.
Dear Alex, your effervescent personality, which now shines thru every word you write, survived such a brutal childhood. I applaud your resilience. And I agree that it is built from being smashed into the pavement and refusing to stay down. Brava!
Thank you, Teyani. I truly appreciate this comment. More than you will ever know! 🩵
I'm so glad people are celebrating Alex and his story. Thank you, Teyani!
Thank you for this. Uplifting and inspirational and a reminder that we never truly understand where each other comes from until the back story is told. Great read.
Thanks so much for being here to support Alex today, Joe!
Absolutely, I find that pieces like this inspire me, every day. This one inspired me to dip back into something I'd been thinking about and cleared up some thoughts for me. In fact, my piece today I owe to reading this. It is me that should be thanking you guys, and I do.
Wow, Joe, that humbles me greatly to hear this. And I am equally stunned but grateful for your paid support. Thank you!
I'm so thrilled to hear this, Joe! Thank you for sharing 🩵
Thank you, Joe! I appreciate you reading and your support. Truly! 🩵
I'm so glad to have read this. Truly inspiring and moving. Thank you.
Thank you, Don. I'm so grateful you spent some time reading deeper into my background. I truly appreciate it!
I'm so happy to see the loving support here for Alex, and all are familiar names. Maybe we are forming a circle of friendship, however corny that sounds as I type it.
Not corny at all. I think you’re right, Jeannie!
“My old life was falling apart, but I was building something new.” Love this. Thanks for sharing your words and story!
Thank you, Breeann, for reading sharing your support. It means the world to me!
Thanks for being here, Breeann, and for supporting Alex and his incredible story!