Why Am I Always in a Hurry?
giving up rushing, a playlist by the row, protein pasta, skin cycling, restivals, really good reads, and so much more!
The Second Act is a weekly newsletter packed with obsessively-curated recommendations and ideas—let’s get to it!
📺 ‘Paradise’ on Hulu: There are so many good dramas out right now that this dystopian political thriller (from “This is Us” creator Dan Fogelman) may need to wait until we all catch up on “The Pitt,” “White Lotus,” and “Severance.” The show alternates between a “present-day” timeline in a sort of utopian community, and five years prior, when Sterling K. Brown is hired to be the President’s right-hand Secret Service agent. I don’t want to give away too much, so just trust me (and Grace Atwood, who brought it to my attention!).
📚 Pieces You’ll Never Get Back by Samina Ali: Five days after giving birth to her son Ishmael, Samina awakes from a coma with significant memory loss, from nearly dying from a rare form of preeclampsia her doctors missed. Her stunning memoir, out today, straddles cultures, and even life and death, as Ali recovers painstakingly slowly, navigating motherhood while putting herself back together like a puzzle.
📺 “Laid” on Peacock: This new show, starring Stephanie Hsu and Zosia Mamet, is a lot cuter, raunchier, and wittier than I was expecting. In it, Ruby (played by Hsu) realizes that every partner she’s had sex with is dying off, so goes on a quest to warn them and resolve the curse.
It’s been a blissfully rainy few weeks here, with just enough sun slipping through to remind us spring is on the way. The slower pace has felt like an invitation—one I didn’t realize how much I needed. And lately, it’s had me thinking about… rushing.
More specifically, how often I feel the urge to move faster. Even when there’s no real reason to. Even when the moment is good.
Why am I always in a hurry? Rushing my kids out of the car, even when we’re not running late. Speed-walking through my workout, even though I want to be there. Racing through dinner prep, even though I genuinely love to cook. Clicking through emails, conversations, bedtime routines, everything—on fast-forward. Not because I have to, but because… I’m used to it.
Where did that reflex come from? Is it city living? Phone brain? That internalized hustle culture voice whispering that slowness is laziness? Or maybe just the reality of being a solo parent with a never-ending scroll of to-dos in the back of my mind?
Whatever the cause, I’m noticing it now. And I’m ready to unlearn it.
Because the truth is, life doesn’t need my urgency. My kids don’t need to be rushed through their childhood. Dinner doesn’t need to be made at lightning speed. The workout, the inbox, the drive to the store—it can all move at the speed of breath.
I don’t want to rush through a life I’ve worked so hard to build.
So this season, I’m practicing presence. Choosing to linger. To pause mid-morning and sip my coffee all the way to the bottom. To stand still while the rain falls. To remember that not everything has to be done fast to be meaningful.
I don’t need to hurry to prove I’m doing enough. I’m already here. That’s enough.
Things I’ve saved, read and enjoyed lately
Ordered this new cookbook which sounds cozy: Mother Sauce: Italian American Family Recipes and the Story of the Women Who Created Them.
Did you know The Row releases monthly playlists? Here’s March’s.
Speaking of music, there’s a new Haim single! Also, Este Haim’s home, including her pretty pink bedroom, is featured on AD this week.
I’m feeling J. Crew’s creative and cool campaign casting lately including Emily from Feed Me for the New Yorker collab and now, the staff of Cafe Gintane.
Julius Roberts launched a Substack (I very much enjoy his IG and cookbook)!
Possibly the Sambas of 2025.
What Does It Take to Quit Shopping? Mute, Delete and Unsubscribe. Also, serotonin (which can release when you online shop) diets are trending.
I made this ‘Ginger-Garlic Shrimp With Coconut Milk’ on a rainy evening and it was delicious.
Ordered “protein pasta” - anyone ever try this? Will report back.
Jake Arnold’s new collab with Crate is what al fresco dining dreams are made of.
Ohhh the piles! Very much relate.
7 tips for getting shit done when you have young kids.
Tower 28 launched a powder blush! I have loved their cream blushes for years now so this is exciting.
The 25 best books coming out this spring.
We called it “no-chella” when we skipped Coachella but now it can be referred to as a ‘restival.’
Madewell is 25% off everything, plus an extra 40% off sale. Yes, yes, yes and yessss. But also, I love their denim.
Feeling the slip skirt for spring.
Does hot lemon water actually have any benefits?
The case for putting standing dates on your calendar.
Here’s a cute graphic of what’s in season for spring.
If you liked this, would you be kind enough to give it a little heart? ❤️ And if you’ve read anything great lately that’s worth sharing, please drop it in the comments for us all to enjoy?
The Second Act is an entirely reader-supported publication. Click here to subscribe or gift a friend a subscription here (if a friend sent you this —tell them thanks!). Anything you want covered? Questions? Reply with a comment below!
My favorite group of roundup links yet! <3