17 Comments
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Evelyn Fox's avatar

This was beautiful. So simple, yet so complex. I am very tempted to try my hand at this.

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Caroline Beuley's avatar

Thank you so much Evelyn!! And you should do it! Please share your piece with me if you do :) I’d love to read it!

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Evelyn Fox's avatar

Absolutely!

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daneen k.'s avatar

this was so joyful to read!! it makes me want to write :)

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Caroline Beuley's avatar

aww that makes me so happy! go, go, go write!! and share what you come up with :) I would love to read it! Thank you so much for reading and commenting!

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Sophia Theories's avatar

This was so stunning! I love how you weaved together these little moments of joy - this form was the PERFECT choice for your thesis. Made me forget how bad at math I am. 🤭

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Caroline Beuley's avatar

hahaha right?! I’m a big math hater, but I made an exception for this essay. Thank you so much for reading and commenting Sophia!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it :)

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Matt Taylor's avatar

This is such a quiet marvel: expansive, intricate, and utterly alive with presence. Phrases like “paper thin flesh of our wrists”, “scratched silver covered in a cloud of magnets”, and “tiny bugs alight from our arms and legs, buzzing in chorus with our brains” bring an intimacy to each scene that transcends nostalgia. What’s especially moving is the way joy is presented not as a grand epiphany, but as something stitched together from fragments. The kindness of strangers, the ritual of morning poems, the miracle of birdsong being named correctly after years of not knowing. There's a reverence here for the ordinary that becomes extraordinary when seen in sequence, a number of small beauties. Love it.

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Caroline Beuley's avatar

Wow Matt this comment made me tear up!! That’s exactly what I was trying to accomplish, and I am so so glad to hear it worked for you! Thank you so much for your thoughtful reading and comment :) It really means the world!

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Hannah's avatar

This was truly a JOY to read 🩷 You wove together these stories so beautifully. I love the way you paint pictures with your words. Also, I feel like I might have unknowingly did one of these braided essays in my latest LOL. So that is very cool to learn it's an actual thing. I might have to give these prompts a try to see if I can do it again, lol. Thank you for this essay! 💞

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Caroline Beuley's avatar

Ahhh Hannah I am so so glad you enjoyed!! And yes, I think the tendency to weave different stories together can be a very natural one! I’ll have to check out your latest essay! Thank you so much for reading :)

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Debbie Liu's avatar

"It feels like magic but it's just maths." You have made magic here with your numbered and braided recollections, Caroline. I loved reading this!

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Caroline Beuley's avatar

Aww thank you so much Debbie! As a kid that gravitated towards writing and reading, I’ve always disliked math class, but this particular lesson always stood out to me as one that was truly engaging for me!

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daisy burckin's avatar

This was so beautiful! I'm always a sucker for blending art and stem :)

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Caroline Beuley's avatar

Awww thank you so much daisy! And I’ve never tried it before, but now that I know it’s possible, maybe I’ll do more of it!

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Andrea Benvenuto's avatar

This is so lovely! Can't wait to try the prompts.

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Caroline Beuley's avatar

Thanks Andrea! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! And yes please try the prompts and share what you come up with - I’d love to read it!

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