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Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Courage


It is only on the rarest of occasions that I lose sleep at night, the thoughts that infrequently waking me being those surrounding the well being of a child, even if that child is now 6’5” and 170 lbs.

Last night, a friend of mine told me that her well-educated, accomplished and highly employable son, quit his job. He absolutely could not stand going to his place of employment every day. Although his work filled a void for a time, offering him the opportunity to purchase assets and feel financially settled, he hasn’t enjoyed it for a long time.

Our accrued assets and financial freedom only lasts so long before one’s gut aches, or physical and emotional conditions associated with the deep unhappiness that one actually feels inside, begin to manifest. I do not think that the building up of assets is a bad thing, nor do I believe that we should undervalue our material life but we have to be careful not to overvalue it.

Last night I woke up because I was thinking about him and how I would like him to know how courageous I think he is. I feel in the same way that Jean Stapleton’s character, Birdie Conrad, from You’ve Got Mail espouses; that he is “daring to imagine something else” for him and although it may be frightening, it is also freeing. My thoughts envelop this brave young man knowing that even if he chooses to enter back into the profession that he has prepared for, he will go into it in a much more settled and healthy manner.

~ Ellyn

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Perfection Here & Now


“Every day was a perfect day and every night was peaceful.” E.B. White’s lovely words from Charlotte’s Web warmly emerge from my being, today and often during the summer.

Ever since my son Max began working through his summers, I have found it difficult to plan a family summer vacation, and I am not interested in traveling anywhere without my children, yet. The first two summers that he worked away from home and for a wage, he was able to leave work one week before school started. Unfortunately, we didn’t know that until then. We did take some last minute, very cool teen inspired eco trips, highlinging and ziplining, camping and always throwing in a stage production, or two. 

This morning, as every morning, and while enjoying my beyond fair trade, dark roast, full-bodied and richly aromatic Thai coffee, on the verandah, it occurred to me that my favourite summer resort is right here in our yard. With a well-used fire pit for evening relaxation and pleasure, surrounded by a variety of mature trees that Brent’s mom and dad established, a hot tub for cooler evenings underneath the stars, scattered and wild perennial beds that fill my life with mostly green, the colour with which I am so drawn to, an outside area where I can always find a spot free of the elements, Max’s zipline and Jillian’s basketball court and with my babies that are not so much babies anymore, coming and going…
 
My summer life is complete.

As Jillian and I spend time touring around to different Universities, and I am aware of the reality that she too will be gone from here soon, I find myself spilling over in gratefulness for the life that we have created. Do I want to keep creating this as my favourite summer resort? Maybe, but maybe not. What I do know is that it is perfect right here, right now.

I invite you to share with me, where it is that you find yourself during the summer? Where is your favourite summer resort?

~ Ellyn

A walk back to the hot tub where
perennials are on top of perennials
and softly clean soil meets green...