Birthday gratitude post (+special subscription offer)

To life—and turning double chai.

Coney Island, Brooklyn (Courtesy of author)

The number 36 has an important significance in Hebrew.

Unlike the numeric symbology I wrote about the other day, this one is good. It’s “double chai,” meaning double 18, which in Hebrew means “life.” Maybe you’ve seen Fiddler on the Roof and recognize the lyric “To life, to life, l'chaim”? Yea, it’s the same derivative. It’s a common dollar amount Jews use in donations and celebratory gifts—and it’s also how old I turned today.

I wish I could say this occasion gives me the opportunity to share a profound realization about the meaning of life, but for the most part I’m just grateful to be living a pretty lovely one. And I’m more certain than ever that writing is what I’m here to do.

Making a living as a freelance writer is brutal: I often feel like editors don’t necessarily understand my approach, and every pitch feels like going to battle. Between constant media layoffs and practically non-existent freelance budgets, combined with a sea of remarkably talented under-employed writers trying to independently make money off of newsletters, there’s so little profit to go around. 

That’s why it means so much to me that some of you have chosen to take your hard-earned dollars and pass a few to me each month. To my paid subscribers: I want to thank you. From the bottom of my heart.

To my free subscribers: thank you for your support in the form of kind words and sharing with friends. I’m offering a limited time birthday deal for 36% off your subscription for a year—I hope you’ll take advantage of it!

I know The Handbasket has truly been all over the place in terms of content, and in the year ahead I’m hoping to create a bit more coherence in my coverage…Though I can’t make any promises because I’m simply fascinated by too many disparate things. Perhaps you recall my obsession with Ivermectin?

Maybe you came here because you wanted daily gossip about George Santos. Or maybe you liked my thoughts on Jewish stuff. (Or maybe you’re my parents—Hi, Mom and Dad.) Whatever brought you here, I sure am glad you came. 

My birthday pledge to myself is to fire the judge in my head who takes every rejection as a knock on my ability as a writer. I’m old enough now—thirty freaking six!—to be able to say that I’m good at what I do. And that other people derive some sort of positive feeling from it. And my wish for this year is to grow The Handbasket, get steady freelance projects, and generally be the master of my own fate. 

Thank you for being a reader. Thank you for being a friend.

-Marisa