Cheers - Part 2

Now that summer's here - last day of school was yesterday! - the excitement of time off and lazy hazy adventures has arrived. You can feel it in the air, especially as we start off with the Canada Day long weekend. I was supposed to be heading to Ottawa to celebrate with friends, but unfortunately we've had to reschedule for another time.

So I find myself with a whole 3 1/2 days of 'found time' - which is perfect! Lying in the hammock and cracking open a new novel, hanging out with Maggy, celebrating Matthew's 2nd birthday, family barbeque and swimming, checking out the new movies Evening and/or A Mighty Heart - where to start? I'm looking forward to every moment. Here's to summer vacations and wishing everyone a wonderful Canada Day Weekend!

Photo: Ben and friend at last year's Canada Day festivities

An Examined Life

It has been a while since my last postings and I'm getting a lot of questions and comments!

Recently a dear friend of mine observed that while some introspection in blogs is good, perhaps I could lighten it up a bit. That a return to some humour and lighter subject matter might be in order. This gave me pause as I thought she said something about "an examined life is not worth living," though when I searched famous quotations, it's actually "the unexamined life is not worth living" by Socrates! So I suppose that's validation to keep on blogging despite sometimes going a bit deeper.

As well, a lot has been going on over the past few weeks - some positive, some not. On the positive side:

I've spent some time in Toronto and Ottawa having fun, hanging out and exploring. Have also been reminded of the importance of making new friends as well as staying in touch with the old who are near and far.

Things are progressing on the job hunt - with three processes in place right now. Will keep everyone posted on the results.

The heat has been intense over the past few days (40 degrees with humidity). Luckily we have air conditioning as well as a pool so I have nothing to complain about. And I get to hang out with the kids while swimming every day, which is a bonus!

Once again there are birthdays galore - this week Happy Birthday to Stephen and Matthew, next week Chris.

On the "not" side, there are a lot of health issues arising all around. While I get that this is a part of life, especially as we get older, it still seems there are an inordinate number of people dealing with disease and death. It seems drastic and unfair. While it makes us appreciate life and living in the moment, it also makes me angry to see so many occurrences of cancer, in particular.

As well, Ginger (my parent's 15-year old dog) passed away on Friday which was very sad. She lived a long and happy life, however it's always a challenge to say goodbye to such a longtime member of the family.

So, as much as I was hoping to contribute some uplifting thoughts, I think I'll reserve that for upcoming postings.

Swimming

It's 30 degrees and sunny - so you either wilt or go swimming!

This afternoon Matthew, his brother Ben, and their mom and dad came over to play in the sandbox and take a dip. There's no better way than this to enjoy summertime and let your cares fade away...

Synchronicity

I love the idea that there is a universal network into which we are all connected. I first heard about this years ago and explored the idea through various writers, teachers and philosophers as well as by practicing yoga and meditation and attending Unity Church in Vancouver. At that time, I vowed to myself that I would not mentally 'study' this concept, but instead connect with it through heart and body. For a Gemini (air sign) this is a challenge; however I've been successful in doing so thus far.

This approach has helped me become more grounded and 'within my body' versus always analyzing everything and searching for control. That said, it can be difficult to let go of attachment and ego-driven goals. My move east is a large-scale example of ultimately letting go of a life that was sufficient, but no longer feeding my soul.

I have recently met a kindred spirit who has gone through a very similar journey. She packed up her life and moved from Canada's north to return to family and roots in Toronto at just about the same time that Maggy and I did. We've both landed in a new, yet familiar setting and are just getting acclimatized to new daily routines. We're both so glad to be back and to be much closer to lifelong friends and family. And alas, we're both looking for that new vocation that will be in keeping with the path that we've laid out for ourselves. It truly feels as though we were meant to move to this new chapter together. It absolutely feels like synchronicity to me!

Paradoxical Life

I've been thinking about how life in balance means that with sadness comes joy, with uncertainty comes clarity, with closing doors come new beginnings. And vice versa. It's remarkable how this works, and with age and experience we finally come to see that this is what makes life so precious. Pain, though difficult, is a gift as it can bring into focus what is most important and is so often fleeting.

I saw Deepak Chopra speak last Monday and he described this paradox by saying that without the darkness, we couldn't appreciate the light. He of course said many other things, but this really stuck with me.

My life is full of rich and meaningful relationships that continue to emerge, grow and evolve. Some of the people I love are now experiencing difficult times and my heart goes out to them with wishes of much strength, peace, laughter and joy as they negotiate through these challenges. Love is truly the essence of life and while sometimes it takes a painful experience for us to recognize this, love's power is ultimately what will get us through.