Relearning Old Lessons

Hello friend,

How was (is) your summer? As someone who lives according to the academic schedule, fall has already begun for me. Lol.

I've missed connecting with you, even as I enjoyed the break from my usual routine. After a restful, busy, exciting, and calm summer (sometimes all at once!) I am ready for familiar routines and new adventures.  But first, a bit about my summer.

In June my husband and I visited Luxembourg for his birthday celebration. We arrived after a much longer journey than expected due to three train mishaps. But it was worth the effort to get there. We spent most of our time in Luxembourg City, walking and eating and riding the free public transportation. (I really enjoyed that amazing gazpacho soup despite the look on my face 😄).

Our second day included a fabulous walking wine tour guided by Ken (Visit Luxembourg Tours). Trust me, you don’t have to drink wine to enjoy this tour. Ken was born and raised in Luxembourg and knows interesting details not included in any tourist book.  Plus, he’s as fun as he is knowledgeable.

We ventured outside the city center to experience the Luxembourg American Cemetery. 

In mid-July we traveled to the U.S. to visit family and friends and to have some quiet time at our favorite shore, the Outer Banks.  We drove more than we have driven in the past 5 years, covering DC-MD-VA, OH, NY, NJ, TX, NC, MO, and KS. It was wonderful to see and hug people instead of just viewing their faces on a screen. Those connections fed my soul.

But it's in the breaks, the pauses, the deeper breaths when I relearn the lesson of fully letting go. The lesson of letting each day hold me and carry me. The lesson of surrender. As I watched the sunrise over the ocean, it didn’t matter how many miles I had driven or what the next day would bring. All that mattered was the present moment.

I deeply needed my time at the beach.  That’s my happy place.  Where I can see the clear blue waters, hear the waves crashing against the shore, feel the ocean breeze against my skin, and taste and smell the salty ocean air.  The ocean is the place where I exhale, where I completely relax, where I am restored. The letting go I experience at the ocean is a deeper release than I experience anyplace else.

I’ve tried to carry that feeling of the present moment back home with me as I ease into my regular routine. When I forget the lesson of being present, which I do time and time again, I close my eyes, slow my breath, and transport myself back to the beach. And I find release as I exhale.

What lessons have you learned or relearned this summer? What have you released? How have you been restored?

If you haven't yet taken time to pause and restore your energies, it's not too late.

In this very moment, give yourself permission to pause, soften your gaze, and take yourself to that place where you feel safe and happy. Where you find rest and restoration. See and feel yourself in that place. Now take a deeper breath in and slowly let it go, releasing something you don't need with the breath.