Goodbye chaos, hello joy!

Leaving behind the chaos of spring and welcoming the joy of summer

It’s been a tiring and full season for many of us. Whether that’s working three times as hard as you used to at your job (due to layoffs or federal changes) or being on an endless job search, many of you have reached out to tell me how much harder things feel right now.

For me, it’s been the kind of season where I’m putting in seven grants this cycle (for reference, the norm used to be one to two), working hard to publish findings from studies and clinical trials I’ve wrapped up, and managing the chaos of end of year activities for my kids (hello concerts, recitals, endless end of school year parties, themed outfits, half days, no days…!)

All (mostly) good things, but exhausting nonetheless.

You better believe I got these beauties for myself for Mother’s Day and they are singing in my front yard.

For many of my friends, it’s been the kind of season where they have lost jobs and are applying day after day, with seemingly no prospects in sight.

For a whole lot of us living in the U.S., it’s been the kind of season where politics rage and things continue to get more chaotic than they already were.

So if you find yourself ending spring feeling depleted, you are not alone.

While there’s not a cure for chaos and depletion, there is a remedy to help manage the suffering.

It’s the equation of JOY+BEING.

This picture seems doctored, but it’s not! Our Azaleas are the happiest they’ve been since we moved in!

Finding all the tiny joys. And focusing more on just existing and being (being loving, being present, being here for all the summer berries or all the refreshing swims).

And what better season to enter joy and being than summer?

With all its lazy days, less forced scheduling, and sunny weather…the summer sort of invites us into the art of being.

So, you may see a little less of me over the summer or shorter newsletters to create space for more of this being.

As we head into summer, think of some things you’d love to just be present for. Or make no list at all and practice the art of showing up to the surprise and joy of each day this summer. Or just exist, good or bad, and let each day unfold into exactly what it needs to be.

To more sunny-weather swims in lakes and pools; to more summer hikes on mountain trails, alongside streams and waterfalls; to Shakespeares in the park and summer festivals (all my NYC people!); to biting into the perfectly cool watermelon on a hot day; to lingering at BBQs and late nights chasing lightning bugs or riding bikes or porch hangouts; to just being in the garden or feeling your feet on the grass.

More happy plants!

This is where I want to go after this long season…into a season of just waking up and being. Entering into all the tiny joys that summer brings.

Happy almost summer - we’ve almost made it folks!

And wherever you are today, if it’s hard, know that simply being here, right now, is more than enough.

Berry season is a sacred season in Washington…where we kick off the season every June with strawberries..then head into blackberries and raspberries and blueberries throughout the summer. WA has some of the best farm-fresh berries in the country. So when I saw the farm stand officially opened today, you better believe I rapid-fire pulled to the side of the road to buy these babies on my way to pick up my kids from another half-day of school!