My Angel Darlings,

One whole month! god yeah!!!! I love you guys! can you believe there is 5,000 of you!? all I can say in a time like this is thank you. thank you for reading and contributing and supporting my ideas. what a special life it is we get to live.

This weeks installment is sure to be a real treat as I’m sitting down to write this at 8 pm the night before it is due :) yay :) That means no time for revisions no time for edits no time to rethink just pure henry magic. my brain - straight to keyboard - straight to your inboxes!!

who am I kidding i’ve never once revised or edited any of the previous newsletters. I would hate for you guys to get anything other than my authentic self. okok ok ok. do you guys ever read the prologue to books or do you skip those? I feel like this beginning section is equivalent to a prologue you guys can feel free to skip it. I don’t really think it adds anything to the rest of the newsletter?

Today I turn 28 years old. I’m feeling very grateful.

SONG OF THE WEEK

The song of the week is to be listened to in the background while you read the newsletter! I have a Spotify playlist that will serve as a database of every song of the week :)

don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone

I would encourage you all to read this article that summarizes the ongoing layoffs that are hitting The National Park Service this week. After reading, I couldn’t help but to think of Joni. She wrote Big Yellow Taxi in 1970 while on her first trip to Hawaii. In a 1996 interview she reflects on what compelled her to write the song and says:

I took a taxi to the hotel and when I woke up the next morning, I threw back the curtains and saw these beautiful green mountains in the distance. Then, I looked down and there was a parking lot as far as the eye could see, and it broke my heart […] this blight on paradise. That's when I sat down and wrote the song.

I love that she abruptly throws in a line about her love interest leaving her in a taxi cab. To me - she’s equating the heartbreak she feels for the earth to that of the feeling of her lover leaving her. oh Joni <3

we are so lucky to have this earth. it’s beautiful and it takes care of us. Don’t litter. go for a hike. enjoy the fresh air. don’t take it for granted!!

There is so much more to be said here but now it’s 8:43 pm and I need to hustle. Anyways

AFFIRMATION OF THE WEEK

Please read this aloud no matter your location or surroundings:

✨ GROWING UP DOESN’T MEAN LOSING MYSELF ✨

✨ I EMBRACE CHANGE - KNOWING EVERY VERSION OF ME IS WORTH LOVING✨

If you were to ask me what my biggest fears are in life are I would tell you I only have one. Getting old.

Every year my birthday feels like a curse. Isn’t that so stupid and pessimistic and selfish of me. I love my youth and my health so much I can’t stand the thought of one day not having those things. The thought of having to rely on others to take care of me. to do basic every day things. But it’s inevitable. It’s a beautiful part of life!!! you can’t fight time - you can only enjoy it.

I have been practicing trying to keep myself present. Why should I waste the time I have RIGHT NOW - the time I currently have COMPLETE control over - worrying about what may OR MAY NOT happen in the future?? Things I have NO control over yet. It makes no sense!! I am young now! I should enjoy it!

I got worked up there :) yay :) had to walk a lap around the house.

ROSE, THORN, BUD

Rose: I spent the weekend in Palm Springs and I got to do two things I love to do. Swim in the sun and eat a good sandwich. I love a good sandwich. From a Jewish deli that hasn’t been changed since the day it opened a million years ago. fucking hit so hard guys I can’t tell you enough. Shermans Deli in Palm Springs if you’re ever there. There’s a fat line to sit down but if you order to go it will be ready in 15 minutes. Life hack with Henry cmon.

Thorn: taxes. but good reminder to all of you to do them! if you’ll remember our affirmations from week 1 - I think - I WON’T PUT OFF UNTIL TOMORROW WHAT I CAN ACCOMPLISH TODAY

Bud - I’m going to San Francisco for a few days on a work trip :) I love San Francisco so much. Maybe I’ll see some of you guys there!!

YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE WEEK

ok - now it’s 9:30. I had to get up and eat a cookie obviously my big fat ass. So I will have to leave you guys with this week’s YouTube video without explanation. But that’s kind of fun right? I don’t need to be mansplaining this shit to you guys all the time. god forbid I shut up. You guys comment and tell me what you think the take away should be!!

OUTFIT OF THE WEEK

Here you’ll see what I wore to my birthday dinner! yay! I’m very pleased with this outfit - I couldn’t find a picture that displays the finer details of it all but i’ll give you the run down.

Aime Leon Dore Sweater Loose Knit Sweater

Still Here New York Jeans

Adidas Spezials

Kayge Studio for all my jewelry!!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

I’ve been back on my yogurt for breakfast grind recently and I implore you all to do the same. it makes me so happy!!! here is what I do:

• a few scoops of greek yogurt

• Michele’s Granola - any of them they go so fucking hard

• Banana slices

• Blueberries

• raspberries

• Honey or syrup

• spoon

• put spoon in mouth

Simple but you will be feeling ways you didn’t know possible for the rest of the day. oh my god oatmeal too? fuck i’m gonna have oatmeal for breakfast tomorrow

it’s 10:15 pm now i’m falling apart. I promise i’ll never procrastinate again guys really I do I promise.

HENRY’S ADVICE COLUMN <3

Ok - this week’s advice column is real barn burner. I got an email from a lovely subscriber with the following inquiry:

There is a man (whom I work with not a great situation) that is quite a handsome fello and happens to like me, and has invited me back to his hometown with him for a trip. While I do appreciate the devotion he has for me, I think it is so unprofessional (!!) because we are both in leadership positions in the company

He says it will be "wildly spontaneous, slightly dangerous, and barely rewarding but a good story to tell someone someday" AND I kind of agree? Should I go is the question because I am kind of bored

Of course this could very well be detrimental to my job and work ethics which is why I've been nothing but a brick wall when it comes to his advances. However he also puts in effort to try and get me to like him back and that's attractive. Anyways a very silly situation! Would appreciate your input WWHD

This shit got me so excited to respond hahahahahah I love you guys.

My initial curiosity is why we are going straight to hometown trips??? if you’ve been nothing but a brick wall to up to this point? are you not filling us in on some details queen…. was there an office kiss or two….

OK ok ok but with the information we have here I’ll say this - I typically am a huge advocate for not mixing work and pleasure. It just is messy no matter the circumstances. OBVIOUSLY there is nothing steamier than an office romance. It’s a fantasy as old as time. If his advances are sweet and you feel it’s worth a shot maybe we start with a first date? what ever happened to going to dinner or going on a walk. Like make out in the car after - idk why you need to go to his hometown to start? His spontaneity - while seemingly hot and seductive - is curious to me and might be a red flag. Unless you just want to hook up and watch the world burn than go for that shit queen. I’m proud of you no matter what.

Ok - another week of horrible advice from me, Henry <3

email me or respond to this newsletter with what you need advice on and i’ll provide my thoughts in future weeks ❤️ 

[email protected]

Jesus guys really sorry about my performance this week. I, Henry Claudius Smith, promise to never EVER procrastinate again. I will be back to my usual routine next week giving this newsletter the thoughtfulness it deserves. I hope you all can find forgiveness in your hearts for the poor birthday boy.

I’ll see you guys next week <3

Yours alwaysalwaysalwaysalways,

Henry