Sunshine and Olly

by Jessie Kaufman

Hello, Sunshine and Olly readers.  Happy New Year!

My name is Jessie.  

For those who have followed Jonathan’s work, you already know that I am: his wife, a mom, a therapist, and the survivor of many things, including a major depressive episode that would have taken me out, if it were not for my fabulous husband. 

What you may not know, is that I am also a bit of a shit talker.  Along these lines, I have been talking smack to Jonathan since he started Sunshine and Olly about posting something for this site. However, I have not backed it up, as I was busy surviving some brutality or other, and did not have the juice.  

Now that we have pushed back the move to San Diego, I have found a myself in a good place.  My amazing husband saw I was ready to grow, and challenged me to actually post something.  

So here we go….






As I said before, I am a survivor of many things, and have picked up some tricks along the way. I then made a career out of teaching these skills to others through my role as a therapist. 

One of my favorite gems is to make meaning out of suffering. If you can find a lesson, learn a skill, or help someone else because of your experience, you can transform great pain into many beautiful things.  

The other day, I was scrolling through Youtube, and saw the performance of “Joy,” by Pharrell Williams and Voices of Fire, for the re-opening of Notre-Dame.  The song struck something deep, a memory that had been buried under years of surviving. It was the realization that we also learn, and find meaning, through Joy. 

In the same way you can develop skills from enduring pain, you can heal and flourish by listening to what brings joy, and focus on those points with love, curiosity and humor.

As a discipline in joy practice this year, I plan to post about things that nourish me:

Dance
Design
Fashion
Artistic Expression
And exploring the meaning of wellness.

We will see if I am just being a shit talker, but it sounds like fun.