Welcome to Two Truths, a bestselling newsletter & media brand exploring the many truths of motherhood from journalists & maternal health advocates Cassie Shortsleeve & Kelsey Haywood Lucas of Motherspeak. Two Truths is rooted in the healing & affirming principle that two (or more) things can be true. It’s a “best parenting Substack” per Motherly and The Skimm says you should subscribe; also seen in Today, Fast Company, Vox, The Bump, Popsugar & more.

In a world of heavy headlines—many of which, yes, we deliver in this newsletter—we’re excited to share something else: a list of the little things bringing joy to the mothers in our community.

These powerful yet fleeting moments are what Kelsey calls “motherhood microjoys”—brief flashes of awe and delight that occur throughout your day so quickly that they’re easy to miss. But pay attention to them—and, even better, start keeping an inventory of them—and they could make you happier overall. (The more you train your brain to look for good things, the more you’ll find, and the more joy you’ll inevitably experience.) Scroll down toward the bottom of this post for a quick primer on how to start your journal.

We hope you enjoy these 10 special moments shared with us by our community. If you want more tips and reminders to strengthen your own micro-joy journaling practice, join Kelsey’s Instagram community, ‘Motherhood Microjoys.’ Plus, stay tuned for more from our ‘Microjoy Monday’ series—because we seriously believe we all need a lot more happiness in our lives.

Want to share your own recent microjoy? Please post it in the comments!

Motherhood microjoys: 10 things bringing you happiness this week

A reframe on ‘1 more minute’
“When my daughter asks for 1 more minute, and we touch our pointer fingers together.”

A way to root in the present moment
“Pointing out all the construction vehicles and hearing the joyful squeals from the back seat.”

A sensory experience
“Oh! The smell of my baby’s head! For some reason it is even more addictive at 7 months.”

A reminder as the kids grow up
“My Velcro baby came home from school and said — ‘I always like to be with you, I love you.’”

And another
“My 12yo son is much taller than me and hugs me so long every time I see him.”

On the awe of