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Existentially Amused

Existentially Amused is food for thought for the curious, the intuitive, and anyone who likes to f*ck around with philosophy for the joy of it. Author readings and musings on motherhood, consciousness, identity, mortality, and everything in between. We follow ordinary moments down philosophical rabbit holes, ask questions that may or may not have answers, and occasionally stumble into an epiphany along the way. Some of it comes from experience. Some from intuition. Some might be a divine download

society & culture philosophy

All Episodes

2:59

Women are Medicine

Existentially Amused ·

2026/10/03

(Prefer to listen? Author’s reading available above)I almost didn’t have time to see her.That is the shape of my life now—drop-offs,pickups,small hands,full calendars,friendships tuckedinto the cracks between everything else.But she lives three thousand miles awayand comes aroundonce in a blue moon,so I made the time.Three hours.A drink.Lunch.A table between usand somehow,no distance at all.Most mothers I knoware carrying too much.Me included.And somehow,she carries hers with grace.Not perfectly,

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3:38

Best Day Ever

Existentially Amused ·

2026/09/20

(Prefer listening? I’ve included an audio reading of this essay above.) Every Friday is Mommy Daughter Day.Sometimes I plan something epic—a new museum,the beach with friends,somewhere we haven’t been beforethat I hope she’ll remember.And sometimeswe just go to Michaels.Today she wore her birthday dress.Not because there was a birthday.Not because we were going anywhere fancy.Just because she wanted to.And there I was,dressed for an ordinary Friday,following a five-year-oldin her very best

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3:26

I’m So Happy You’re Alive

Existentially Amused ·

2026/09/14

(Prefer to listen? Press play above to hear me read this piece.)I’ve spent a lot of my lifefeeling like the universedropped me off at the wrong address.For years,I struggled with depression.Life and Ihave fallen inand out of lovemore than once.In my thirties,after being sickfor a very long time,something in me woke up.Call it a spiritual awakening.I started seeing magic again.I wrote.I traveled.I stood on the Amalfi Coast,looking out at all that impossible beauty,and thought—I can’t believeI get to

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8:15

The Warriors and the Fairy Children

Existentially Amused ·

2026/08/30

(Prefer to listen? See above. This is me reading The Warriors and the Fairy Children, from Existentially Amused.)Last night,under the full moon,I had a vision.I saw the mothers.All the mothers I knew.We were crossing a desertwith our children on our backs.We were wounded.Bandages wrapped around our arms,our legs,our hearts.Some wounds were ours.Some belonged to our mothers.Some to their mothers.Things handed down so many timeswe couldn’t rememberwho had been hurt first.Behind us,there was war.A

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5:02

Already Someone

Existentially Amused ·

2026/08/23

(Listen to this essay in my own voice above.)At drop-off one morning at nature school, the children were gathered near the edge of the parking lot, greeting one another before heading into the park.Violet looked up, spotted Emma, and said,“Emma! I missed you.”Then she gave her the biggest hug.I smiled because it wasn’t unusual.If Emma misses school, one of her friends will usually ask where she is. Her best friends are always asking for playdates. At the end of the day, they’ll often exchange big

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3:57

Human Beings Are Kind of Adorable

Existentially Amused ·

2026/08/05

(Listen to this essay in my own voice above.)Lately, I’ve been noticing something.Human beings are kind of adorable.I don’t mean all the time, and I don’t mean everyone. Life has taught me that boundaries matter. Some people are meant to be loved from a distance.But the people I encounter in my little corner of the world…They’re pretty wonderful.I used to think of school drop-off as another thing to check off my list.Get there on time.Remember the water bottle.Make sure the lunch made it into the

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3:50

Body is a Spaceship

Existentially Amused ·

2026/04/21

I turned a poem into a song! It came to me in the middle of the night—one of those quiet moments where everything slows down just enough to hear something true. I was thinking about my body… about everything it has carried me through.Years of chronic pain. Moments of breaking. And now, what finally feels like a turning point—like I’m coming back into relationship with it.I had this realization that my body isn’t just something I live in… it’s a vessel. A kind of spaceship. Complex, intelligent,

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3:06

All the Ways We Forgot We’re Rich

Existentially Amused ·

2026/04/06

(You can listen to this as an audio too. Just me, reading this out loud) I wasn’t really sure what to post this week.I have so many pieces,and it was hard to choose.And I’m a little on a time crunch—my own creative time crunch—trying to stay consistent and post every week.Also… it’s my birthday tomorrow,so if you feel like sending a little birthday love,I’ll receive it.But I chose this piecebecause it feels like the mindsetI want to step into this year.Just really celebratingall the wins I already

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2:03

I Thought I Needed More—But I Already Have Everything

Existentially Amused ·

2026/03/29

Sometimes it feels likethere’s something more I should be doing—something bigger,something fuller.I hear it everywhere,feel it in the air,like a quiet pressureto want more.But deep down,I don’t.My life is already full.I just have to rememberto see it that way.Yesterday—my daughter and I went to the park,like we always do on Fridays.She wore her lemon dress,blue and green with little lemons,like something you’d wearon the coast of Italy.We packed our picnic blanket,walked to the spot we like,and

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4:11

Motherhood Is Big on the Inside

Existentially Amused ·

2026/03/23

On invisible work and the worlds that quietly grow within itLately I’ve been thinking about how motherhood can look small from the outside while containing an entire universe within it.This is a reflection from a recent episode of Mother Universe.Lately I’ve been thinking about how a life can look small from the outside…even when it contains an entire universe within it.Sometimes I wisha simple lifecould just be enough.Not small in meaning—just small in appearance.The kind of life that doesn’t come

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3:21

The Real Gold

Existentially Amused ·

2026/03/15

Mother UniverseEpisode 5: The Real GoldIntroWelcome to Mother Universe.I’m Lisa Ormsby.If you’ve been listening before, you might notice a small shift in the name. What began as Motherhood & Miracles is slowly expanding into something a little bigger — reflections on motherhood, nature, and the quiet intelligence that moves through all of life.Today’s reflection began with a very small moment at bedtime — my daughter falling asleep on me and the quiet rhythm of her heartbeat beneath my hand.It

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2:51

I Have Enough and I’m Still Overwhelmed

Existentially Amused ·

2026/03/09

Episode 4 —Motherhood & MiraclesToday I met a golden retriever in his front yard.Sweetest dog. Golden. Soft face.He had grass.He had toys.He had space.But where was his person?Probably still at work.He kept bringing me a stick instead of the ball, like he didn’t really know what to do. Like he had forgotten how to play alone.I told him he was a good boy.And when I finally had to leave, he barked.And barked.And barked.Not mean.Just — please stay. I’m lonely.It made me realize something about humans

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3:19

Don’t Rush the Magic

Existentially Amused ·

2026/03/02

Motherhood & Miracles PodcastEpisode 3by Lisa OrmsbyIntroHi. Welcome back to the Motherhood & Miracles podcast.This is Episode 3, and today’s piece is called Don’t Rush the Magic.The other evening, my daughter and I were driving home from Grandma’s house when the sky did that thing it does sometimes — when it looks like it’s on fire. Orange. Gold. Impossible to ignore.And in that moment, I realized how easy it is to rush through the beautiful parts of our lives. To move too fast. To miss what’s

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3:56

Maybe the Universe Didn’t Want to Be Alone

Existentially Amused ·

2026/02/25

A bedtime spiral in cozy pajamasIt was late.The house was quiet.My daughter was asleep in the next room.And instead of falling asleep,my thoughts got big.In this intimate, late-night reflection, I share a moment of existential fear — the kind that arrives when the world feels unstable and the lights are low — and the surprising warmth I found on the other side of it.This episode explores:• Bedtime spirals and moon-cycle sensitivity• The fear that nothing is real• Motherhood as proof that love is•

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3:38

The Two Directions of Love

Existentially Amused ·

2026/02/16

Show NotesPeople always say a mother’s love is the greatest love in the world.But lately, I’ve been wondering about the love that moves in the other direction — the kind of love a child has for their mother.No one has ever loved me the way my daughter loves me.In this episode, I reflect on:* The fog and survival of the early years of motherhood* What it feels like to be adored by a four-year-old* A quiet moment at the tide pools in San Diego* The unexpected pride that comes after simply… showing up*

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3:32

Episode 0 - Welcome to the Table

Existentially Amused ·

2026/02/03

Thanks for reading Lisaormsby's Substack! This post is public so feel free to share it.SHOW NOTESEpisode 0 —Welcome to the TableMotherhood & Miracles with Lisa OrmsbyThanks for reading Lisaormsby's Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Motherhood is often shown as either beautiful or brutal — but rarely both.In this opening episode, Lisa Ormsby shares the manifesto behind Motherhood & Miracles: a podcast devoted to the unseen, unpolished, and quietly transformative

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