Despite all the suffering in the world, in the face of pain and sadness and confusion, there is just as much (if not more) beauty, tenderness, joy and love. In my humble blog, I intend to hold space here for these qualities - the positive and negative. I feel like I am an ambassador of sorts to inspire you, cheer you on, and keep things real, even if it means admitting darkness (and I have done this in some of my blog posts). Today, I say to you: May you all allow yourself to feel your feelings in these crazy times and know you are not alone. We are all in this together, and we all do the best we can.
When things get too overwhelming for me, I go into the mountains. How lucky I am to live amidst so many vast mountain ranges teeming with wild energy. One of my sweet friends and I, with our children, hiked to a gorgeous mountain lake the other day. A few days before that hike, I took my kids and their friend to explore another region that fed our souls. I would love to share the beauty with you here.
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| ...because you need to take a football when you hike in the mountains... |
Ohhhh, beauty!
Ah, come on, let's give you more of it. I walked through my garden a couple of days ago and want to share the beauty that lingers there. Surround yourself with beauty. Spend time with a friend who is not afraid of big feelings. Give gratitude. Bravely live your truth. Be gentle with yourselves, sweethearts...
beautiful spot!! We live on a tiny island in MA and have been spending the last days of summer getting the last of the wharf jumping in. It's been rather warm here for this time of year and has stretched the summer out further than I am used to.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the last of summer on your tiny island! Winter will be here before you know it!
DeleteThanks for sharing the beauty and the inspiration. What lake is that? With the quick shift in seasons maybe that's one of the last swims...Whidbey Island has turned a bit chilly and windy.
ReplyDeleteMolly, the lake is (uninspiringly) called Lake 22. It's off the Mountain Loop Highway. You can google it and find the trailhead easily - it's a popular hike!
DeleteYour post reminded me of one of the most important poems in my life. The part where you say "keep things real, even if it means admitting darkness". In time of awfulness this poem has made hard times easier to bear. The poem is also so much more than just "support". It's inspiring to live life fully. "God Speaks" by Rainer Maria Rilke (one of your countrymen who you might be familiar with). It's short so I'll post the whole thing here:
ReplyDeleteGod speaks to each of us as he makes us,
then walks with us silently out of the night.
These are the words we dimly hear:
You, sent out beyond your recall,
go to the limits of your longing.
Embody me.
Flare up like a flame
and make big shadows I can move in.
Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.
Just keep going. No feeling is final.
Don't let yourself lose me.
Nearby is the country they call life.
You will know it by its seriousness.
Give me your hand.
I love Rainer Maria Rilke's poetry, and this one is powerful. Thanks so much for sharing, dear!
DeleteLoved the pictures! Now that is living life! We need to look within but in order to find freedom we must look out from ourselves and in my belief system we need to look up! The world can be ugly but if we look, God has painted beauty everywhere but we have to look for it, be willing to move and enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteHope
Here's to beauty!
DeleteThanks for beauty of words and beauty of nature, AND beauty of family & friendship shared here! I needed your blog "dose" today ~SMile... Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYou are so welcome, dear one...
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