Look closely at the ways of NATURE because this is the parallel of our own lives.

It’s the proverbial day after (Ian), though we are still feeling the effects of rain and wind. I am so grateful for Nature’s mercies!

As I journey through this cycle, I am reminded of the ways our bodies also move through cycles and how important it is for us to remember and be mindful of this. As much as the sun shines, darkness will also come. As much as we are youthful and energetic, age and pain and decline will come. This is why it is so important to examine the way we live, not wasting precious time on resentment and dislike which will only lead to regret one day soon. For anyone marching towards forty or fifty or sixty, know that life is journeying fast forward. In what may seem like the blink of an eye, old age will descend. Your circle of friends will get smaller and aches and pain may become the norm. Think about how you want to grow and live and celebrate your LIFE now! Look closely at the ways of NATURE because this is the parallel of our own lives. Do everything you can to go with the flow, send forth positive vibes and prepare to live a life that balances with the HARMONY of NATURE!

Yesterday I asked about TRIBE on my Facebook post, knowing full well that we do not reach out and connect with others as we ought to. That at times we hold back ourselves, refusing to support and uplift and elevate each other, even when it is as simple as clicking on someone’s post to give it a like or an acknowledgment. Let’s consider ways in which we can support and offer hope to others. Let’s look at ways we can learn from them and be certain to acknowledge their presence in our life. Let the members of your tribe know their position in your life and build on the strength of the relationship so they may remain members of the constant and enduring circle of your life, steady and firm in those days that will dim and darken like the shadows of the hurricane season.  

JANUARY 2021

                                  COME WHAT MAY, WE ARE THE SURVIVORS!

This was the theme that evolved from my GATHERING OF FRIENDS on New Year’s Eve as we tuned in via Zoom to celebrate this magnificent thing called life. While we acknowledged the trials and tribulations of 2020, each member of the group ranging from 20 something to 60 something noted that shelter -in-place nudged them inward to look closely at their lives and to make the decision and then take action to live more meaningfully. While our activities, yearnings and achievements varied, when I examined closely what each of us said, it was readily summarized into this simple affirmation:

SIMPLIFY. PRIORITZE & DON’T SETTLE.

We discussed that simplifying our lives meant decluttering our homes and wardrobes, letting go of emotional baggage and accepting people for who they are meant. In all cases, we agreed that this rested on the recognition that we held the responsibility for changing our attitude within the relationships and in some cases, it meant easing out of a friendship or just letting go. We then set about deciding what is most important, most meaningful in our lives and took actions to focus on these. Above everything else, we recognized the value of integrity; of staying true to ourselves and doing everything to make sure that we did not settle. From this awakening in 2020, we are ready to step boldly into 2021 knowing that come what may, we are the SURVIVORS.

As much as it is swept by grief, life is washed with joy embedded in the simple pleasures of the Universe. 

Hold your face to the sun, I tell my dear friend caught in the throes of mental anguish.

To my thirty- something friend fatigued by the disappointments of corporate life, I say throw caution to the wind and pursue your heart’s desire. Create your summer palace because you are the one most suited to do so.

As for me, coming to terms with loss and stepping onto new pathways this summer, I tell myself: go find yourself in the sea, holding onto e.e. cummings’ words, for whatever we lose (a you or a me), it is ourselves we find in the sea. One of my dearest friends offers guidance by her example of stepping outside of an unfulfilling marriage to start anew, setting up home by the sea and thus fulfilling a deep yearning of the soul even within this challenging time. Her message is one I share with you: Live the life and take time to find peace. These past months have certainly strengthened my conviction that within despair lies the magic of rising up and engaging in the potential of new opportunities; of seizing hope from the deep recesses of the dreams we harbor. As we journey through the Circle of Life, we recognize that as much as it is swept by grief, life is also washed with joy.

Time spent at the beach this summer has been the awakening of hope and journeying towards fulfilling new dreams. So I say to you my friends..

Step boldly. It’s time to see what you can do!