A World of Good

Today is the Summer Solstice – the sun is at its highest point in the sky and it’s the longest day of the year. Here in Indiana, at the western edge of the Eastern Time Zone, we call it the land of the midnight sun in summer. It’s easily my favorite time of year in South Bend. I want to love spring (and did when we lived in Virginia) but South Bend’s mercurial weather makes that tricky. Fall has its charms but leads us into cold, grey winters and I don’t really trust it. So the solstice falls during an already happy time of year. When nearby Notre Dame’s campus is quieter and at its most beautiful. When I can spend mornings, afternoons and evenings on my front porch with a good book or a good friend. When the pace is slower because Brian isn’t teaching. And when the days last seemingly forever. 

But if you’ve read some of my earlier posts, you know I’ve been struggling with what to do with the rest of my forever. I had an aha moment this morning so I thought I’d share. My writing partner, Megan Jessop, is also my yoga instructor. (It’s wonderful to have multi-talented friends isn’t it?). Class this morning was a little different in honor of the solstice. First, I should explain that our class takes place at a special little oasis in South Bend called Sacred Waters. On a busy main street surrounded by medical buildings, a gas station, a bank and a dance studio, it sits far back off the road in its own tranquil, natural setting. Out back there is an expansive lawn that leads to a pond and a wooded area. It’s lovely and peaceful and sets the stage beautifully for Megan’s holistic approach to yoga. So today, we started with a walking meditation, which was something new to me. I’ve meditated on many occasions (not always well)  but never while walking, slowly, purposefully, and heel to toe. Megan suggested we set an intention for our meditation, in addition to gathering sunshine for the sun salutations that would follow. 

Although I think most people would say that I am a calm person in general, my mind doesn’t always feel like the most harmonious place to hang out. So I appreciate having a specific focus. But choosing that focus often follows a similar process to the way I do the daily Wordle Puzzle. I know some people have a couple key words they always use or a very specific strategy. I found it boring to use the same starting words, so I use a five letter word that I just heard on the TV or read in the paper or look around the room and find an object that can be named in five letters. Keeps things fresh but is also a little haphazard which feels on brand of late. 

Anyway….choosing my intention went a bit like that this morning. First, I thought I would use an affirmation like “I have gifts to share with the world.” But as I walked, slowly and intentionally (at least very intentionally avoiding all the goose poop that peppered the lawn) that changed to “If you share your gifts with the world, the world will find you.” And that made me stand still for a minute. It’s my great wish that children will find my book and it will help them develop a growth mindset and grow into confident and resilient young adults. And it’s made me a little sad that copies aren’t flying off the shelf – due, at least in part, to my aversion to developing stronger marketing skills but we’ll leave that for another post. That word “IF” pulled me up short though – it felt like a cop out. LIke I was leaving the sharing of those gifts to chance. In its final version, I walked thinking “WHEN you share your gifts, YOUR world will find you.”

And that made sense to me. In part because Brian and I attended the memorial service of an ND classmate yesterday. Neither of us knew him very well, but we both knew his son, a classmate of Conor’s, from class and the advising office. He’s a remarkable young man so we wanted to show up for him. He and his brother gave a beautiful eulogy and that, combined with other remarks shared, painted the picture of a man who had been very intentional in his relationships whether with family, friends, or colleagues. Everyone of those people felt seen, mentored, and nurtured by him. Did he help everyone in the world? Of course not. But, it seems, he helped everyone in HIS world. So that’s my charge as I write more books, or more blog posts, or whatever else flows. To work to help everyone in MY world - however small or large that world may be or feel. Do the work and trust that It will make a difference.

(And if you’re still here, thanks for reading. Apparently the longest day calls for a long post.)