Not the Mother's Day post we had planned

An invisible newsletter for the invisible loads we carry.

[A chaotic ten minutes, for those willing to listen]

Well, this is a first.

I spent hours this week writing a long, heartfelt newsletter for Mother’s Day about the invisible labor that so many mothers carry, the countless unseen tasks that hold families together, and how the most meaningful gift we can give is to truly see and honor that work. You were also getting a little preview of how we frame this concept in our book.

But as we prepared the document for formatting in Substack, it was all accidentally deleted. Don’t ask about the technicalities. Just chalk it up to the kind of thing that would happen when two people are in a document at once. A casualty of having a joint account, if you will.

I won’t lie—I'm heartbroken. It feels like a metaphor, honestly. So much of what mothers and caregivers do disappears without recognition. And now, my attempt to write about that invisibility has…disappeared, too.

So instead of scrambling to put new words on a screen, I am sharing some thoughts in a voice note above. It’s something a little more raw, maybe a little more personal. I hope you’ll listen.

And I hope you’ll take a moment this weekend to acknowledge a mother or caregiver in your life. I can assure you that despite any jokes about what we want, we’re not looking to disappear on Mother’s Day. We want to be seen.

I could use a virtual hug.

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On the brigher side, last week, I got to experience this very full-circle moment with Hazel, who participated in a regional sports tournament where the opening ceremonies were at MY high school! I hadn’t stepped foot in the building since I graduated in 2003. What a time warp. She swam her heart out, and we’re very proud of her, but the most valuable part of the weekend for me was just having this memory to stack upon the years of good memories in this place. How cool.

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TJA in the news

Before this complete and utter tech meltdown, I went long for sheknows about MAYCEMBER, the busy season parents experience at the tail end of spring, which seems to be taxing our brains and our wallets more each year. A perfect Mother’s Day read.

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Shameless plugs

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And don’t forget, our forthcoming book, Money Together: How to find fairness in your relationship and become an unstoppable financial team, arrives in October 2025. You can pre-order your copy now!

Find us on social: @dougboneparth + @averagejoelle :)

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The content shared in The Joint Account does not constitute financial, legal, or any other professional advice. Readers should consult with their respective professionals for specific advice tailored to their situation.