It’s the last day of June, and we’re half way through 2024.
I saw the meme below on social media, and it perfectly captures the feeling I have about how quickly the month of June passed.
June is my busiest month in my current job. July is sure to be equally busy with continued programming at work and various family events. All good things, to be sure! Still, I’ll be looking for ways to create spaciousness and thoughtfulness amidst all the activity.
With that in mind, I have a few mid-year musings to share today, with links to posts from the past six months.
Every day is a new beginning. Six months ago - on December 31, 2023 - I shared “Year end musings,” a post about pausing, reflecting, and renewing. I wrote: “There’s nothing inherently change-provoking about the new year. And yet it symbolizes for us, who mark this human-made calendar, a turning point.” Whether it’s the year’s midway point or the recent summer solstice, we can use calendar or seasonal events to reflect and renew. To make a change, if we want. As Mary Oliver so famously wrote in her poem The Summer Day - “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
Life is precious. Savor the moments. Appreciate. Tell your people you love them. This past week, two people in my circle lost family members. These are not my stories to tell. I’ll only say this - one was a young adult and one was about my age. One was a protracted illness and one was sudden and unexpected. We just don’t know. Earlier this month, I wrote about “Avoiding assumptions and cultivating admiration,” which seemed to resonate with people. Reminder: share admiration and compliments and tell your friends and family that you love and appreciate them. Let go of any cultural or societal baggage around the word LOVE and reclaim it for all the people you hold dear.
Be unapologetically YOU! Listen, putting myself out here is not always comfortable. And, it’s who I am and what I do. Last week’s post “What’s beautiful”? felt vulnerable and resonant to me. I loved this post for myself. And, it got little engagement or interaction. And…that’s okay. Discomfort, disappointment, and reframing - I’ve written about all of these so far this year. There’s room for us all as we are - uniquely ourselves. There’s room for all the people in the world and all the feelings we feel.
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Today, right now as I write this or you read it, people are living and dying, winning and losing, hoping and despairing, celebrating and mourning, thriving and barely surviving. We can’t change many of these things. Some we can. Let’s try to celebrate and savor the good. Let’s try to offer comfort and understanding when we can. Let’s try to change systems and work for justice as we’re able. Let’s LISTEN. Let’s LOVE.
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Thanks for reading!
With care and gratitude,
Mary
Love reading your thoughts, Mary! A good reminder to pause and reflect. Can't believe it's mid year!