GABRIELA YARELIZ

Ready for a Garand Era

By: Gabriela Yareliz

The New York Rangers’ season is back in full swing. There have been highs, like Shesterkin’s goaltender goal, and lows, like Shesterkin’s recent injury putting him out of commission for the rest of the season. (We wish him a speedy and full recovery!)

Let’s be blunt— if an entire team depends on a goaltender, that is not a team. We saw how that dependence on Jonathan Quick played out last season. A goaltender can be supernatural, but the team has to play.

Emily Kaplan has swirled rumors that Jonathan Quick may be pulled out of retirement (he now works as Director of Goaltending Development for the Rangers, so he hasn’t gone far). And let’s be real— Quick played better than the entire team combined, last season. He is a LEGENDARY goaltender. Quick has swag and grit. He deserved a better last season.

Another rumor is the idea of Connor Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck is sitting in Michigan waiting to get traded. Will New York call?

Finally, there is Dylan Garand who has gone through the whole rollercoaster of emotions with this team in two weeks. Went from dispensable to critical, quick. Steve Valiquette called his performance a “mental” game of a victory. Here is a player who is sorting through all the questions and emotions, Valiquette said. #SteveWisdom

Garand has been classy in his interviews— respectful of Shesterkin and showing gratitude for the opportunity to play in the NHL— and he has gotten straight to work. Shesterkin was bending over backwards— getting injured in slow motion, and two seconds after his body hit that post (and a collective gasp was heard around the NHL world), Garand was doing those ice humping stretches with his gear on— ready to go in net.

This whole situation has reminded me of how Brandon Bussi stepped in for Frederik Andersen during the Carolina Hurricanes quest toward winning the Stanley Cup. People had doubts, but Bussi stepped up. He stepped up MAJOR. You know who didn’t have a doubt and had already planned on putting him in? Coach Brind’Amour.

I dislike Mike Sullivan and don’t find him half as competent (or likeable) as Rod Brind’Amour, but if he keeps Garand— he may be onto something. There is something to be said about finding fresh blood and giving them an opportunity to prove themselves. Because some players just need that crack in the door. Because sometimes, it’s through those moments of destiny that a star is born.

Let’s face it, many of the greatest athletes of all time were not first-round picks. They were scrawny kids with stars in their eyes that told people to remember their face and name because they were going to show the world an elite level of discipline and play never witnessed on planet earth (See Michael Jordan and Tom Brady). They were individuals with elite drive and determination who rose past limits with every opportunity granted. The greatest athletes of all time were names that were almost passed over, and today, they are names we will never forget.

Going to Hellebuyck is symbolic. Hellebuyck is a national symbol of excellence. Going to Quick is a safe guarantee that you will have the most elite American goalie to have touched MSG ice. Garand is a wild card. He may become a student of Quick’s who displays his same grit and swagger. He may match the complacency of the rest of the team for the past two seasons.

In recent interviews, Garand has, between the lines, invited the Rangers community to bet on him. I like a risk, and more than that, I like someone who says, Bet on me. In these bets, you have the possibility of ending up with something beyond your imagination. Even with my admiration for Hellebuyck and definitely Quick, I want to see what Dylan Garand is made of. I am rooting for this kid. I want to see him leave it all on the ice. I want to see him grow. I want to see what he can do and where he can take us.

He may have started as a rejected player on waivers (we’ve all been there in life, in some way or another). But he may end up being a name we’ll never forget. I want to see if he is undeniable like Bussi, Hellebuyck and Quick were. We’ll forgive him for being Canadian.

I am ready to see a Garand era. He has already had a NHL shutout. He is ready.

The Duty for Weary Seasons

By: Gabriela Yareliz

I finished reading Tish Harrison Warren’s book on resilience, What Grows in Weary Lands. It is a gem, as all her books are.

It had takeaways such as:

“But I can wait. I can keep going. The practices of our faith, acts of perseverance and trust that may feel futile, are at last the fragile kindling set ablaze by the Spirit, at just the right time. In the end, it all feeds the flame. In the end nothing will be wasted.”

“We, in the contemporary Western world, are rich in comforts and graces— modern medicine, entertainment at the push of a button, relative prosperity. But we are poor in meaning, in wisdom, in relationships, in community, in a sense of purpose.”

“Christians cannot truly be an alternative people— a witness to a different way of being in the world—if we simply have different beliefs than our neighbors but all the same digital habits and practices.”

One of my favorite takeaways was this idea of having the “duty of delight” in the midst of difficult moments. Intentionally seeking out the things that give us joy and comfort in difficult times or times where we feel God is silent. I want to carry this duty with me into this new week.

How can we fulfill and grow in our “duty of delight” this week?

Today’s Mood board

We must return to old places.

We must go back to the places, both internally and externally, that taught us about the magic and wonder of life.

Yesterday, through a book, I went back to Lake Michigan. In photographs, I saw the sparkle of the lake that once captivated me as a child.

It reminded me of walking down toward the lake and starting to see it appear. It was a safe place for stillness, sometimes hard conversations, and the library was just beside it. Pure magic.

Life on the Lake was beautiful.

This Week’s Favorites 10.09.26

By: Gabriela Yareliz

I am sitting here staring at my bag of baby Jesuses. I need to do better and distribute them.

The week went. Maybe it was the PMS, but it was a week of a wide range of emotions. You just feel everything amplified. The joy (petting alpacas) and the rage (people who will not be named).

I finished cleaning, and sorting my bookshelves, today. Dusting and rearranging the bookshelves reminded me of the extensive library housed in this large studio. I felt a wave of gratitude as I moved my books around. I was like, Look at all these marvelous books. How am I so fortunate? ✨

The week flew by, but also was intense. There were autumn days where I walked after lunch and just wanted to keep on walking. The air is feeling autumnal. I saw something by Kate Fuller that said “Fall is short, take the long way.” And I must agree. The season encourages the long way. You just want to spend every last minute in the golden light.

I finished Strangers, so I am detoxing that tragedy from my system. I am in the middle of Dorit’s and Tracy Tutor’s books. Both are good. Reading is ramping up because I have to try and beat my challenge goal.

I was cleaning out my desk this week, and I found some old business cards of mine. Not only is fall short— life is short. Take the long way. You just blink, and time flies. What autumn things are you doing? And more importantly, what are you reading?

Here are some of the favorites from the week:

“We begin to ask: what can you make with what remains? How do you respond to the life that’s actually there, and not just the thing you idealized and envisioned?” Rainier Wylde

“I spent fifty years of my life being in a hurry and didn’t know it.” Nick Saban (This one rattled me when I heard him say it on the podcast).

This piece:

“Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.” Regina Brett, in her “50 Life Lessons” written during her 2006 battle with cancer

“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.” Anaïs Nin

“I’ve always believed there’s something especially beautiful about the effort it takes to make things beautiful.” Paige Paul

I’m still up north, looking at the sunny spots on trees turn orange and eating a French onion soup grilled cheese.

This week’s song:

I always love when this comes on during my workout.

Audience Reaction

By: Gabriela Yareliz

Sometimes, when I watch Dancing With the Stars, I speak to the dancers from our couch. I say things like “Let’s go, girl,” or “Okayyyy.”

Made me wonder— if there was an audience watching us right now, what would they say? If someone was watching you, what would they say? Would they tell you to go for it? Would they ask you to have courage? Would they applaud you? Would they want you to take a breath?

It’s going to be ok; rest; they can figure it out; finish that last chapter!! These are the things I think they would yell at me.

Deepest Responsibility

My morning reading included this line from Sarah Ban Breathnach:

“It is not only our right at certain times to say ‘no’; it is our deepest responsibility.”

Sharing it here, in case you need it, too.

An Unvoiced Conversation

By: Gabriela Yareliz

Maybe it’s because I am reading Strangers. Or maybe not. It could also be because I am me.

I saw this young man walking down the street with his toddler who was waddling along in a puffy vest and long sleeve shirt, yesterday. The little boy was babbling on about something in a cute toddler voice, his curly hair unruly and going in all directions. The father was holding his hand as he waddled on the uneven sidewalk.

As we passed each other on the sidewalk and made eye contact, I couldn’t help but mentally plead with the father (I literally imagined myself shaking this man by the shoulders)— don’t fuck this up, I wanted to tell him. Don’t abandon this child. Don’t drop and shatter him. Don’t reject him or make him feel unloved. Teach him. Value him. Hold him. Care for him. Nurture him. Laugh with him. He looks just like you. Do right by this little guy, and your lives will be beautiful and full. Because it’s all that matters. It’s all that matters. It’s all that matters.

Fine October

Today’s Sunday Mood

Soul Cure

By: Gabriela Yareliz

There are weeks where we fall into old patterns of behavior, and we do not take proper care of ourselves. We all have them.

This week, while sick no less, it was one of those weeks for me. I was doing my exercise routine but definitely overdid it at work. Falling back into old patterns carries a certain degree of exhaustion and shame, so in efforts to lift that, I am talking about it.

What do we do when things get derailed? My executive coach would always tell me— we reset and use the tools we have because you already know what needs to be done. The key is to regain agency.

We face the question— who do we want to be?

So today is my *exhale*, and tomorrow, I will start the Pvolve October challenge (which I will do simultaneously with my Ladder routine).

I am cleaning up my mental clutter and some clutter around me (even electronically). I recently reviewed my YouTube subscriptions, and most of those channels died six years ago, and most of the ones that hung in there haven’t posted in a year. Only about ten of them still regularly post. I unsubscribed from a bunch. Seeing the channels I used to watch was like opening an old journal. There are some things I am not even remotely interested in anymore.

When I look at the media I follow, whether it be by emails, Substack or other media, I have realized that most of it is women who keep a lovely home, workout, cook and dress well. I guess that is the goal.

Rather than a makeup tutorial à la 2016, I am watching a woman show me how she sets her table. Full on Martha Stewart.

I read a great piece from Our Table’s Company:

One of my favorite lines of advice from Georgia’s mom is, “Dress like you have somewhere better to be.” A motto for life. It’s things like that, that bring us back to ourselves. Turning the ordinary into extraordinary moments of intentionality.

Reading it reminded me of how much I am still learning. There is a lot we can learn from people who have led lives with more structure, boundaries and intentionality.

I truly believe that to thrive, we all need to step out of survival and the numbing effect of it all. We need wonder.

Speaking of wonder, my husband punctuated the week with wisdom. He took my overworked numb little self out of the city and on a magical adventure. Getting out of the city always does my soul so much good. This place feels so oppressive to anyone who is a free spirit. Truly.

Being in nature. Petting an alpaca. Seeing the golden light hit the changing leaves—

Just like that, I am back to loving life again. 🎶

Golden light autumnal country roads. Soul cured.