Have You Ever Hunted Pythons in the Dark of the Everglades?

How do you know when you’ve been living in survival mode without fully realizing it?

Often, we simply keep going because we have to.

We do with what we have — hopefully with gratitude, presence, and dignity.

And then one day, most of what was demanded of us finally passes…
and we crash.

Fatigue.
Exhaustion.
The body suddenly asking for what the mind postponed.

Even when we try to be mindful.
Even when we think we are taking care of ourselves.
It still catches us by surprise.

A friend once told me:
“Have you learned not to hunt pythons in the dark of the Everglades yet?”

And no — what I was doing was not “python level.”
It was necessary.
It mattered.
It made a positive difference.

But sometimes even meaningful things leave us exhausted afterward.

At the same time, life keeps unfolding around us.

These past two weeks, I received difficult news from people close to us and from people from the past. Different situations, completely different levels — but somehow carrying the same feeling underneath: broken families, disconnection, truths revealed too late, or realities very different from what had once been imagined.

One situation had been slowly brewing.
Another was a complete shock.
And a third was simply life… except I learned the truth nearly a decade later, and an entire version of the story I had built in my mind quietly disappeared.

It reminded me of something simple:
life needs to be lived as truthfully as possible — at least with ourselves.

So that one day we do not wake up wondering:
“What just happened?”

I don’t share this to bring down the mood.
Only to share honestly that while beautiful things were happening publicly, life was also happening privately in the background.

Because at the very same time, these past two weeks also brought incredibly meaningful moments.

I miss my oldest daughter more than words can say. I’m torn between exhaustion, the amount of work I have, and the instinct to jump on a plane just to be with her — even knowing she’ll likely be back in a few weeks.

Last Sunday, I almost took a flight.
She needed me.
I needed her.
But I was beyond tired, and somehow we got through it over the phone.

My second daughter finished her school year and passed — and yes, she managed to pass math, which honestly was not a given. She worked incredibly hard for it. Then she went to NYC, came back, and immediately started her internship.

And somehow, I’m still adjusting to this feeling that there is never really a full moment to slow down and put roots down again before the next phase begins.

She was also the only one physically with me on Mother’s Day — despite being exhausted herself from exams and everything around them.

Tricky times.
They gain independence… but not completely.
And we, as parents, are constantly balancing expectations, protection, support, and the need to slowly let go.

Our youngest also got his grades back on track, and we are all looking forward to the end of the school year — and somehow to him turning 16 already.

Time truly flies.

And alongside all of this came moments I never want to take for granted:

Ten years as a full-time artist.
An inclusion of my work in Who’s Who in America.
And an overwhelming amount of support from so many of you during the People’s Artist competition presented by Johnny Depp.

Whether you voted every day, once, shared a message, or simply sent encouragement — thank you.

I finished 1st into the Top 20 while nearly 80% of participants were cut.

The amount of support I have received has honestly been deeply moving.

Next week is the Top 15 round, so once again, if you think about it, please keep sending your free votes my way 💕 vote here 💕

Thank you for being part of this journey.

With love and light, — Jess

It goes fast I need your support I m now 2nd 🫣😅🥰