Snapshot

#1 - "Damn!" my freshman roommate from college has some serious arm and shoulder muscles. I was a bit in awe during her 5:30AM body pump class today.

#2 - She has four kids, and works, and teaches fitness, and is back in school...

I was happy, or maybe a bit relieved, to see her get a bit frustrated with one of her children on the way out the door this morning.

I'm trying to figure out why I'm grateful for this? I guess because it is relatable. I can't relate to all those hats she juggles in her life, and am a bit in awe of it in fact, so it is good to know that everything isn't always juggled perfectly.

#3 - Even though it was a quick - 16 hour - visit, I told my friend it was fun to see a snapshot of her life. She said it was fun to share it.

#4 - I used to always listen to music while I cleaned the yoga studio, more recently I mostly work in silence. Yesterday, I started memorizing a poem on a hike. I don't know if I've memorized a poem all year and it felt so good to give my mind something productive to stew over. I realized that while I'm cleaning later today would be a perfect time to work on that. I'd like to have it finished up for my monthly poetry group this week.

#5 - I thought that I was going to either miss poetry this month, or miss the first game in my new Wed eve soccer session. However the game time will work perfectly to attend after poetry is done.

Raspberry Leaf Tea

#1 - One of the reasons I had surgery last fall was because of my heavy menstrual bleeding - it had always been heavy but in the last couple years it had begun interfering with my life. On the heaviest night I couldn't even sleep through the night without it becoming an issue. So after my surgery I looked forward to this changing. One month after I didn't notice a difference, two, three, four, five...I asked my doctor about it and she suggested another ultrasound. My insurance was about to change and I wasn't sure that clinic was covered anymore so I put it off and she didn't push it. Nine cycles after my surgery - other things had improved, but this was the same.

In July I saw a more holistic health person I see on occasion. I mentioned it to her and she told me to start drinking raspberry leaf tea. I was resistant. I'm not a big tea drinker and she was asking me to commit to this everyday, long-term. I put up a fuss, but she said it was really important. So I began. One month later my period was still heavy but suddenly manageable. Two months later, the same. I'm currently on my 3rd cycle since I started drinking raspberry leaf tea and it is simply miraculous. I don't get up during the night at all and it isn't a problem. I am amazed and sold.

#2 - I sent a friend an option to try (Emotional Freedom Technique - Tapping) for some physical pain she is going through. It might not help, but it's free and non-invasive and worth a try and she is open to it, and for that, I am grateful.

#3 - My mind was racing a bit this AM. When I went outside to pick a few raspberries for my breakfast, I discovered how warm/beautiful it was so I did a few sun salutations with the fall leaves and the rising sun.

#4 - I wanted to make something that involved "kitchen twine" and not only does the guy I'm dating know what it is - he has some.

#5 - Warm Skillet Salad with Roasted Apples and Sweet Potato - my dinner - a recipe from Oprah's magazine

Kindness

#1 - Having plentiful raspberries for breakfast, which I remembered to go out and pick last night, as it is now too dark when I eat breakfast to get them then.

#2 - I was reading one of Brene Brown's books when the guy I'm dating and I had our first real conflict. The passage I read that day was super helpful in opening my heart and asking me to soften. Last night I read an excerpt from Brene's newest book - Braving the Wilderness - The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone to that same man and this morning he emailed me an email from a year ago that he had a new perspective on because of Brown's words.

#3 - Kindness is the theme this month where I do yoga. I just emailed the owner my favorite poem on the topic by Naomi Shihab Nye

http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date=2007/07/23#

It's a poem I've always liked, but this year especially is meaningful to me.

#4 - We did a new move in barre class today. We started on our backs, lifted our feet up on the barre and then pushed up, so just our upper back and head were on the ground. Then we did "lifts."

It was tough in a really good way.

#5 - I love that I don't have any lights on as I type this and so my eyes are drawn outside to the sky and the changing colors in the sunset there - as they were drawn to the unusual plethora of birds that made an appearance as I ate lunch - robins, chickadees, nuthatches, hairy woodpecker, blue jay, red bellied woodpecker, sparrow...

Dear World - Echosmith

I Would Rather Feel It All

A while back listening to the radio in the car, there was a song I wasn't paying much attention to, and then suddenly I was riveted. I wrote down the group and looked it up to listen. Today I needed that song again, and apparently YouTube knew it because I haven't seen it in my suggested videos for a long time, but there it was.



I was struck again this weekend by the fact that in the same 24 hours both my life and a friend of mine's life shifted drastically. Really what is the likelihood of that?

Sometimes I just can't believe in the randomness of life.

I emailed my friend, he has been writing about his trajectory shift, to tell him I am ready for my next installment if he has one ready. He sent it to me. It is such a gift to have it to read during lunch and dinner today. It reminds me of Glennon's quote -

“When her pain is fresh and new, let her have it. Don't try to take it away. Forgive yourself for not having that power. Grief and pain are like joy and peace; they are not things we should try to snatch from each other. They're sacred. they are part of each person's journey. All we can do is offer relief from this fear: I am all alone. That's the one fear you can alleviate.”

― Glennon Doyle Melton, Carry On, Warrior: Thoughts on Life Unarmed

Sometimes I just know things - like this upcoming weekend I have a bunch of plans/ideas, but I couldn't solidify them. I can get frustrated by this, even though I've observed again and again when this happens, it is because there is a piece of information or a change of plans that I am not aware of yet.

So I wasn't at all surprised to get an email this AM which will/would change my plans. "I KNEW IT!" without possibly knowing.

How can we, can I be clued in to so many things but miss so many others?

To conclude, and continue on the lack of randomness theme - something I've thought and talked about quite a bit this past year is men and men's groups and men's support. I watched the excellent film "The Mask You Live In" and I have "The Mask of Masculinity : How Men Can Embrace Vulnerability, Create Strong Relationships, and Live Their Fullest Lives" by Lewis Howes on request from the library. And today I checked Jason Mraz's instagram to see what he's up to and he recently went on a backpacking trip with a men's group.

"Evryman is a community of men who come together to challenge and support one another in their personal growth."