<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Ilan Cooley]]></title><description><![CDATA[Ilan Cooley is a writer who shares personal experiences about finding connection and building community, with practical wisdom and
relatable insights.]]></description><link>https://www.ilancooley.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:11:13 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.ilancooley.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[the list]]></title><description><![CDATA[Grief feels like a long road with no destination. Every person who has ever lost someone is tending to the hole in their heart and their life. They walk down that road and try to find their own way. There is no right way.]]></description><link>https://www.ilancooley.com/post/the-list</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698b7236e2bc92e835ddbbac</guid><category><![CDATA[practical wisdom]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 10 Feb 2026 18:26:45 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5d7a63_b235c724740548c3a927143939b1657b~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ilan Cooley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[constellation ]]></title><description><![CDATA[The road ends for each of us, eventually, even if the quest is unfinished, and the questions are unanswered. Somehow, the journey will still be complete, and we will each leave behind all the versions of who we were, like a constellation of bright shining lights filling the sky.]]></description><link>https://www.ilancooley.com/post/constellation</link><guid isPermaLink="false">696e73dac85dff55745cd1a5</guid><category><![CDATA[reflections]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 19 Jan 2026 18:24:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5d7a63_0b0683b20851444aa2e62631537aeb95~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_604,h_546,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ilan Cooley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[chasing butterflies]]></title><description><![CDATA[May the wind carry you to the places you are meant to be. May you have a lifetime of happiness. May you experience the beauty of the world. May you find your own place, and your peace.]]></description><link>https://www.ilancooley.com/post/chasing-butterflies</link><guid isPermaLink="false">695c1cd47d25e886c5334661</guid><category><![CDATA[reflections]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 05 Jan 2026 20:46:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="http://video.wixstatic.com/video/5d7a63_c7f570f0f09f4a548f80b04d5682a6fa/480p/mp4/file.mp4" length="0" type="video"/><dc:creator>Ilan Cooley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[stripped down]]></title><description><![CDATA[ I can honestly say this is the best I’ve ever been. I can step forward with confidence, radiance, and clarity.]]></description><link>https://www.ilancooley.com/post/stripped-down</link><guid isPermaLink="false">673bce8dc8e1b24cf5c777c7</guid><category><![CDATA[practical wisdom]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 18 Nov 2024 23:38:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5d7a63_d62b2ed27dc84454989a5825de0da842~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ilan Cooley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[in pieces]]></title><description><![CDATA[We may not always have the proper words to go with our inner pain, but we can still mend and heal the parts of us that become inexplicably b]]></description><link>https://www.ilancooley.com/post/in-pieces</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6667a85c6e576f00c5c6d443</guid><category><![CDATA[practical wisdom]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 11 Jun 2024 01:34:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5d7a63_76749f6532cb43eea3958de52550e9b1~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ilan Cooley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[old me]]></title><description><![CDATA[There’s a stigma about getting old, but I think people are getting it wrong. We are not actually growing old, we are growing new.]]></description><link>https://www.ilancooley.com/post/old-me</link><guid isPermaLink="false">663837c761776367bb7a03ff</guid><category><![CDATA[practical wisdom]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 06 May 2024 15:56:05 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Ilan Cooley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[enough]]></title><description><![CDATA[I ask myself, will this use of my time make me happy? Will it help me to feel fulfilled? Will it be time well spent? ]]></description><link>https://www.ilancooley.com/post/enough</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6601d0c3d60d903304465121</guid><category><![CDATA[practical wisdom]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 25 Mar 2024 19:37:29 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Ilan Cooley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[house of mirrors]]></title><description><![CDATA[The parts of us that people see impacts how we are perceived. This fragmented reality, based on imperfect moments, is inherently flawed....]]></description><link>https://www.ilancooley.com/post/house-of-mirrors</link><guid isPermaLink="false">65de1437d57c0f0668352df6</guid><category><![CDATA[reflections]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 27 Feb 2024 17:02:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5d7a63_de86529ba67441f69a3aa2c4d19537cf~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ilan Cooley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[strong]]></title><description><![CDATA[Can we be strong if we are also fragile? If we are prone to breaking, will it be too easy to be completely shattered? We equate strength...]]></description><link>https://www.ilancooley.com/post/strong</link><guid isPermaLink="false">65ca58230d5ee02b4bb0c2da</guid><category><![CDATA[reflections]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 12 Feb 2024 17:52:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5d7a63_fe87fd361b884fd8a674eba600d7ba47~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ilan Cooley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[honest, good, and real]]></title><description><![CDATA[Someday I will stop writing about isolation, but not today… In a lot of ways my journey through solitude continues. I’m alone less, but...]]></description><link>https://www.ilancooley.com/post/honest-good-and-real</link><guid isPermaLink="false">654e740c0e547877214d623d</guid><category><![CDATA[isolation]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 10 Nov 2023 18:36:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5d7a63_2c52d9752aae4c44b263a8fa7564d0a1~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ilan Cooley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[old]]></title><description><![CDATA[I long for things that are old—things with a past. Things with character, and a story—things that are built to last. I am drawn to things...]]></description><link>https://www.ilancooley.com/post/__old</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6536e30684e07f424da0c1fe</guid><category><![CDATA[reflections]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 23 Oct 2023 21:27:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5d7a63_e76dee2ba3504d4cbf39d31e7a76096a~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ilan Cooley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[dust]]></title><description><![CDATA[Someone came into my house and ran their fingers over my furnishings, leaving little snail trails in the dust that had settled. It felt...]]></description><link>https://www.ilancooley.com/post/_dust</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6525d0035ac14abe4863fa74</guid><category><![CDATA[practical wisdom]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 10 Oct 2023 22:40:31 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5d7a63_ac6f0b7a79714c1199900fffbfd32693~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ilan Cooley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[garbage]]></title><description><![CDATA[Someone once told me when they looked at the world, they saw garbage. It was a jarring revelation—something I could not myself envision....]]></description><link>https://www.ilancooley.com/post/garbage</link><guid isPermaLink="false">65123162943bfd353cb61db5</guid><category><![CDATA[practical wisdom]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 26 Sep 2023 01:26:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5d7a63_a49ccd2c7286460cac1377eb5f343da4~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ilan Cooley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[toothpaste]]></title><description><![CDATA[Life is like a tube of toothpaste. It’s hard to squeeze the last bit out. Sometimes it feels like we are on the outside squeezing the...]]></description><link>https://www.ilancooley.com/post/toothpaste</link><guid isPermaLink="false">64ed1bbc98db155c6cbfbfc5</guid><category><![CDATA[practical wisdom]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 28 Aug 2023 22:21:17 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5d7a63_65ea6d6c359d472c8f8e4c45ad7fc5bb~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ilan Cooley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[soul-o]]></title><description><![CDATA[soul-o I am constantly being forced into solitary situations, and I don’t really understand why. After glimpses of normal socialization...]]></description><link>https://www.ilancooley.com/post/soul-o</link><guid isPermaLink="false">649399e578681fe612cc194b</guid><category><![CDATA[isolation]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 22 Jun 2023 00:58:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5d7a63_770f2dd1d4404be98405aa64a475811a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ilan Cooley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[flourish]]></title><description><![CDATA[I stopped to look at a tree. I walk past it often, but this time it stretched out its branches like a warm embrace, and fluttered its...]]></description><link>https://www.ilancooley.com/post/flourish</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6480c56651e95d255018d701</guid><category><![CDATA[practical wisdom]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 07 Jun 2023 18:14:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5d7a63_3b3c130219dc4568952d750b8d2436f6~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ilan Cooley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[life on ice]]></title><description><![CDATA[It takes time to adjust to a new season, both figuratively and literally. I feel like we’ve come through a bit of a deep freeze; a long,...]]></description><link>https://www.ilancooley.com/post/life-on-ice</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6462ab873248a3522e5a9de7</guid><category><![CDATA[practical wisdom]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 15 May 2023 22:08:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5d7a63_4f78f031967d4e849d541190ee42e4df~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ilan Cooley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[marked safe]]></title><description><![CDATA[Life can be hard sometimes. Even though there is so much to be thankful for, and many good things and positive people in the world,...]]></description><link>https://www.ilancooley.com/post/marked-safe</link><guid isPermaLink="false">64403c0f296888955da2bb3e</guid><category><![CDATA[community]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 19 Apr 2023 19:16:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5d7a63_2fd67ba21b624e3b9eb00d31f7f16ffa~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_709,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ilan Cooley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[crouching gopher, hidden cobra ]]></title><description><![CDATA[I am, at times, a coiled cobra, ready to strike. After too much time in the snake charmer’s basket, I can no longer resist the seductive...]]></description><link>https://www.ilancooley.com/post/crouching-gopher-hidden-cobrai</link><guid isPermaLink="false">64221837777035f565463eca</guid><category><![CDATA[isolation]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 27 Mar 2023 22:48:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5d7a63_39e0e02b270d499b84ff8f4722ad080e~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ilan Cooley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[jack in the box]]></title><description><![CDATA[I turn the crank and it plays a silly song. Even though you know what’s about to happen, it’s still a bit startling when the lid springs...]]></description><link>https://www.ilancooley.com/post/jack-in-the-box</link><guid isPermaLink="false">63d81166fe3511b279e659c9</guid><category><![CDATA[isolation]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2023 19:09:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5d7a63_e67b3e6c9aa4434096a8bdc72c9e52a8~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ilan Cooley</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>