In Home's Arms + Facing Reality
I wrote to you in August.
Didn't plan to take two months away from newsletters and writing and... it happened! Sometimes a break comes to get us when we most need it yet least expect it. I'm back, it's fall, and I've got some delicious things to share with you. This newsletter is packed! So skim-it, slurp-it-up, soak-it-in your way, and find whatever spruces up your sweet life in the most useful way today.
One Day at a Time
Three months into our return from living in Sweden, most of what I've been up to is cultural reintegration. Big adventure can reorganize our thoughts in big ways. I returned more humble, more grateful for what I have... and more sensitized, sometimes meaning highly bothered, by things that violate my values.
Rather than focus on the elements of America that upset me, I've aim to rise above my circumstances. Ever notice you're focused on something that's happening next month, next
year, when you "look better" or make more money? We all do it. It's a sickness for our species -- focusing so much on problems and challenges that we recreate them with our thoughts.
And we do. We're that powerful.
Noticing my own need to grow in this area, I wrote about it. Writing as therapy, yep that's my gig. Sharing it with you, that's my joy. You can read it here: One Day at a Time.
"The only thing stronger than a woman is a group of women with each other's backs." ~ Nina Simons, co-founder and Chief Relationship Strategist of Bioneers, co-founder of Women Bridging Worlds, author of Moonrise: The Power of Women Leading from the Heart
Claimed and Re-rooted by the Arms of Home
Can you remember a moment when you got off the plane after one of your life's biggest adventures? That hug that greeted you? Those happy fireworks that lifted off in your veins?
Back in late June, it was the height of summer in Sweden. The festive joy of Midsummers, Sweden's biggest holiday, mingled in the apple orchards. Daylight lasted 18 hours and 5,200 miles stood between me and my home. We were heading home in just three weeks but still, I stood on foreign soil.
Then she walked off the bus, a devoted friend of many years, and a massive wave of relief was about to greet me. Read more here.
Mischievous, Chihuahua-Kissed Affection
Part of the fun with my blog is that I can dedicate pieces of writing to friends and smother them with adoration. It's like I've got fresh croissants in my back pocket and whip 'em out with fine tea on a stage with lush velvet teal curtains. It might make my friend blush but beyond the blushing, it feels damn good to be loved and celebrated. I'm a big fan of PDA.
That there, in the photo above, is Piper. She's a long time friend and I'll never forget the first time we met. You know those women who shine from deep inside themselves, not paying much attention to what others think -- because ultimately it doesn't matter? That was her, even in college.
Read more: The Confident Light of a Woman. Her work these days is as a gardener and artisan distiller with Wildcraft Urban.
It's human. It's relationship stuff. It's intense.
One of the elements of my "reverse culture shock" is re-adjusting to a culture that's gun-crazy. Sweden has sane gun laws; we are afraid and negligent. I'm not saying you are. I'm speaking of the collective.
When news stories flaunt shooting after shooting and your child is small, Mama Bear comes out. I wrote this letter to my precious and wonderful dad after a tense moment one week after our return. It's a about the idea that Someday Your Daughter is Going to Have to Face Reality. So many parents have interactions like this with others who have strong opinions about how we should raise our children. I trust this will be useful to some of you in this situation.
Love the ones you're with.
Don't forget about our Relationship Series, either as a refresher to your existing big wisdom, or as a first-time dip into some of the key tools for making relationships work! It's our lil' gift to you, a power-packed set of five 5-minute video interviews with a master Relationship Coach, to feed, heal and zest-up the most important relationships in your life: with family, friends, or your primary partner in romance, life or business. The five subjects are:
Being in Relationship
Growing Through Conflict
The Power of Acknowledgment
Sexual Intimacy
The Ripple Effect
Got 25 minutes, or just five? Check out The Relationship Series now!
And finally, dear ones!
Here is our featured free recording for November. It's a 55-minute interview with Shannon O'Laughlin, Education Director at Blue Oak Waldorf School in Chico, California. For those curious about Waldorf education or Rudolph Steiner pedagogy, here's The Spirit of Waldorf Education and Tips for Parents. If your kids attend non-Waldorf school, you'll hear some of the ways you can integrate Waldorf ways into your child's world. Adults too, who've outgrown school, can learn and be lifted by the ways of this inspired style of learning.