Ah, summer—I’m not ready to see you go. As we quickly approach what feels like the seasonal finish line, I’m in no rush to be busy. Nope, I’ll just stay right here and soak up the last of these slow, spacious days.
This summer, for me, has been all about space. Billy and I traveled to California (space away from New York) and spent time with friends (space to relax and have fun); we spent a week in Vermont with my whole family (space for my heart); I taught my annual retreat at Heathen Hill (space for practice and fresh air); and I pulled back on work (space away from what I do, which gave me some space to connect with who I am).
That’s a lot of space.
It gave me a necessary dose of perspective. Zooming out makes everything clear. You can see the bigger picture—if I push over here, it affects this thing over there; if I spend time with that person, it impacts how I feel about this stuff in my heart; if I slack on that thing I need, it makes me feel like what I’m doing over there is not enough. You get the idea. Space gives us room to spread out—to stretch ourselves beyond the limitations and expectations of the mind.
The beauty of summer is that there’s built-in space—long, lazy days of backyard barbecues and swimming and ice cream and nothingness. It’s the one time of year when we allow ourselves to slow down, to savor, to take it all in. I think summer has a lot to teach us right now in what feels like the winter of times.
I’m taking these last moments of the season to think about how I can create more space in my life. Where will I find it? How will I defend it? My invitation to you, dear friends, is to stay slow, maybe even be still, and give yourself a moment to reflect on space, perspective, and clarity. How will you stay open and spacious in your heart and in your life?
Enjoy these last days of summer and have a safe and wonderful Labor Day Weekend.
