It's been one of those weeks where I can feel The Daily Wild beginning to gain momentum. Between my first wholesale order heading to the cutest little boutique, a meeting about a potential branded collaboration, your tags and texts, and those of you who stopped by the market to say hello, there has been a lot to celebrate. Every order, every message, every card you share reminds me why I started this journey in the first place. Thank you for being part of it.

One day this week, things got a little more wild than usual. I was in my backyard and noticed a small fawn by my pool. It got scared and jumped right in the deep end! One minute I was enjoying a quiet afternoon. The next, I was fully clothed and jumping into the water.

I didn’t think too much about it, just jumped in and helped it stay above water and guided it to the stairs. It was a chaotic few minutes for me. After a few shaky steps, the fawn found its way out of the yard and eventually disappeared back into the trees.

So you can see why the Deer felt like the obvious animal for this week's newsletter. Sometimes the animals find us exactly when we need their reminder. This week, a deer arrived literally, right in my own backyard.

– El

The deer moves through the world with awareness. It survives not by overpowering its environment, but by understanding it. Every part of a deer is designed to help it stay alert. Its ears rotate independently, listening in multiple directions at once. Its eyes provide an expansive view of the landscape, allowing it to notice subtle movement long before others would. It reads the world with remarkable sensitivity, responding with instinct instead of urgency.

We often mistake sensitivity for weakness. But in nature, sensitivity is wisdom. Deer remind us that gentle and aware doesn't mean fragile. It means finely tuned. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the deer is what it does after a threat has passed.

It returns to grazing. It doesn't spend the rest of the day replaying what almost happened. It doesn't stay frozen in vigilance or carry fear into every next moment. It simply returns to what nourishes it.

How many of us could learn from that? We replay conversations. We anticipate problems that haven't happened. We stay braced for emails, deadlines, difficult decisions, and endless what-ifs.

In a culture that often celebrates the loudest voice or the strongest presence, Deer offer another way. Deer show us that sensitivity is not weakness, it is awareness refined. It leads through steadiness rather than force, observation rather than reaction, and quiet confidence rather than control. And returns to calm once danger has passed vs. dwelling on it.

The most influential people in our lives are rarely those who dominate the room. They are the ones who listen deeply, create calm in moments of uncertainty, and help others feel safe enough to move forward without fear. That is Deer energy.

This week, notice how you respond to tension. Do you rush to fill the silence, defend your position, or push harder? Or can you pause, gather information, trust your instincts, and respond with intention? Perhaps your greatest influence isn't found in speaking louder or moving faster, but in becoming the steady presence that others naturally trust.

Lead with awareness. Respond with compassion. Move with quiet confidence. Because your gentleness is not fragile, it is one of your greatest strengths.

The Deer makes me think of the dads, grandfathers, and father figures who have shaped our lives. Not always through big speeches or grand gestures, but through steady presence, quiet guidance, and simply showing up.

If your dad is happiest on a hiking trail, watching birds from the backyard, out on the water, or enjoying a quiet morning coffee, I have a feeling he'll love The Daily Wild. Each deck includes 55 original watercolor animals paired with reflections inspired by the natural world. These are small moments of wisdom that invite curiosity, conversation, and a different way of seeing the day.

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As we build this community, I would love more than anything to hear from you. What’s landing? What did you notice this week? What do you want more of? Tag @yourdailywild on Instagram - or just reply to this email - I read them all and it never gets old!