I posted on Instagram about Valencia. Casually. The way you post when you have news but you are also still processing the news and you are not sure how big a deal to make of it so you just put it out there and see what happens.
What happened was this.
💬 WHAT CAME BACK
@misaki.intercultural - Arrasou demais!!!!! Parabéns!!!! 🎈🎉
@anacunha.psi - Que fantástico, minha querida! Você está arrasando. Parabéns! 👏👏👏🥰
@janainacarvalho.psicologa - Jessicaaaaa vc arrasou! Parabéns e muito sucesso 👏
@moinsaopaulo - Super merecido, congrats! Vai ser incrível! You go, girl! 💪🏼❤️👏🏼🤩
@daianeweber.ca - Mulher, que arraso! Parabéns e muito sucesso!
@danibalieiroamorim - Muito feliz por vc!!! Arrasa ❤️❤️❤️
@margery.psi - Que demais!!! Parabéns! Arrasou!
@valeriamacedoescrita - 👏🏻 Arrasa!
@gingalanguage - 👏👏 maravilha! Arrasa!
@bruno.bcamargo - Uhuu, que demais Je! Parabéns e muito mais sucesso sempre! ✨
@janyilustra - 😍😍😍😍😍👏👏👏👏
@psicologa.melfarina - Parabéns 👏🏻
@bella_swiss_samoyed - 👏👏👏👏
@marlonm88 - Show! Sucesso 🙌
@hectorgarcia.jpg - Boa! 💪🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Giovanna Cocco - Parabéns minha amiga querida! Você merece ❤️
Immediately fifteen comments. Psychologists, illustrators, writers, researchers, friends, strangers. In Portuguese, in English, in emojis that said more than words. All because I casually mentioned that Parenting Unpacked is going to be part of a conversation at an international congress in Valencia the day after it launches on Amazon.
I posted casually. They did not respond casually. And I have been staring at my phone since.
I keep saying I do this alone. No team, no Avengers. And then something like this happens and I remember that alone was never quite accurate. This is the team. Right here.
Daiane Weber, who wrote to me about my text in Mulheres em Travessia and said she felt less alone in the anguish — she was there. Dani Balieiro Amorim, who called the coloring book 100% recommended on launch day — she was there. Jany, who illustrated the coloring book — she was there. People who have been part of this story from different chapters, all showing up in the same comment section on a casual Tuesday post.
That is not nothing. That is everything, actually.
To everyone who commented, liked, saved, or just saw it and felt something — thank you. You are why the casual post is never just a casual post.
Parenting Unpacked: Parenting Through the Loss of Self launches June 24th on Amazon. I present at SIETAR Valencia on June 25th. And apparently I have a whole community watching. Still shook. Still grateful.
Shook. In the best way.
Jessica Gabrielzyk
If your life has ever moved in a way that left you standing somewhere unfamiliar, wondering who you are now, Parenting Unpacked was written for you too. Available now on Amazon worldwide in paperback and Kindle.
