I have never been that alive ever before
Feb 10, 2026
Hey,
I hope you’re doing well. There’s actually a massive snowstorm happening outside as I’m putting those words down on this “there’s no way I’m going outside” Saturday morning in La Belle Province...!
I came back from Virginia last Thursday after what has been such an intense week mixed with the still-really-hard-to-swallow reality of Alex’s home being worse than a construction site after 1 year and the 3rd anniversary of his heart surgery, and even if Alex was walking through all of those, he surprised me with the wonderful celebration of our friendship's 25th anniversary!
A week where completely different anniversaries crossed each other’s road...!
🎧 Music I’m listening to
Little Barrie & Malcolm Catto's album titled Electric War
I recently discovered this artist, and as I was sleepless in my room at Alex’s home, I started to dig down deeper into their rabbit hole and discovered they did a KEXP Live Session recorded at the Rennes Trans Musicales, a festival I truly can’t wait to perform at someday!
Cheers to the non-sleepers who always welcome rock n’ roll into their long nights...!
📖 Reading highlight I’m pondering
“This world is full of conflicts and
full of things that cannot be reconciled.
But there are moments when we can
reconcile and embrace the whole mess,
and that’s what I mean by ‘Hallelujah.’”
- Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen’s words about “Hallelujah” speak to a deep and hard-earned understanding of unity in the midst of contradiction. As a Jewish man raised in Catholic Montreal who later immersed himself in Buddhist practice, Cohen lived at the crossroads of faiths, cultures, and spiritual languages.
Rather than seeing these differences as divisions, he embraced them as parts of a larger human search for meaning. The word “Hallelujah,” unchanged across languages and traditions, becomes in his vision a universal expression of gratitude, not for a perfect world, but for one that is broken, complex, and still profoundly beautiful.
In that sense, saying “Hallelujah” is an act of reconciliation: a quiet moment when we accept the mess of life, recognize ourselves in one another, and give thanks for the simple fact that, despite our conflicts, we share the same breath, the same longing, and the same capacity to love.
What I like the most about this word is how, in every language, it’s one of those rare words that is pretty much pronounced and written the same way.
Hallelujah Across Languages and Transliterations (Source: Google)
Hebrew: הַלְלוּיָהּ Halleluyah.
Latin/Italian/French: Alleluia.
German/Dutch/Swedish/Finnish: Hallelujah.
Greek: Αλληλούια (Alliloúia).
Spanish: Aleluya.
Chinese (Mandarin): 哈利路亚 (Hālìlùyà).
Korean: 할렐루야 (Hallelluya).
Arabic: ﻪﻠﻟﻮﻠﻫ (Haluluya).
Hindi: हलेलूयाह (Halelūyāh).
Swahili: Haleluya or Aleluya.
Ukrainian: Аллуя (Alluya)
🎙️ Podcast That Inspired Me
Stuff You Should Know - Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan: Miracle Is Right
Here’s one of the most inspiring stories I’m so glad my friends at Stuff You Should Know decided to talk about, especially in those days where it’s hard to dig into some inner power and energy to simply walk through everyday!
Here’s to an American author, activist, and lecturer who became a global icon for overcoming blindness and deafness, proving people with disabilities could achieve greatness, and advocating for civil rights, women's suffrage, and workers' rights, inspiring millions as a symbol of perseverance and how we can all reach our full potential by choosing triumph over disability!
Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan were one of the most amazing non-magical duos in history. Imagine living trapped in your own mind, unable to see or hear, and then imagine learning to read, traveling the world, and becoming an ambassador of peace.
📸 My Picture Of The Week
The evening before I left Virginia, Alex offered me this amazing gift, a compass for a journey without any specific destination, one that has been lasting for 25 years already and, in my opinion, it is still and again just getting started…!
As written inside the compass, we’re celebrating a story and a journey that can only be shared, communed, and experienced...! The greatest story there is!!!
💬 Shared in the Long Shadows Chat this week
“I have never been that alive ever before…
That is the real miracle in my story!!!”
- Alex Henry Foster
A quote coming directly from Alex’s Substack written on February 4th, the date of Alex’s second chance at life and the living miracle he became following his 10 hours of heart surgery, which has to be celebrated and talked about!
I had the privilege of being with him this year, as opposed to 2023 as I really had to leave for Tangier, a decision I’ll be forever regretting. Every time I see one of those pictures of him in these hospital beds, I’m so thankful and grateful for every following breath taken...!
As Alex and I were walking up and down the mountain, we obviously talked about how things were back then opposed to how they are now, which is why that quote of him isn’t just a quote but a true living organism deeply rooted into Alex’s new heart, which is such a wonderful and beautiful thing to witness…!
The most amazing part and what truly filled our band’s chat last week was when Alex shared your comments, your messages, and your hearts and souls for him. That is something I’m forever grateful for...!
From the deepest part of my heart, thank you!!!!
Let’s be great to one another!
Your friend and Chief Operator,
Jeff
