My 60th Rotation Around the Sun
How beauty, joy, and peace filled the first weeks of my 3rd act.
On the actual day of my 60th birthday, I spent dawn until dusk in the woods of northeastern Idaho on the Yellowstone border with my 14-year-old son, Nico. We saw the sunrise over a frosty meadow while wolves howled in the distance. We sat silent for hours, scouting the forest's depths for a deer that might fill our freezer for the winter. While we didn’t speak, the forest was alive with the sounds of autumn – the chittering squirrels dancing through the treetops, massive flocks of geese heading south, the ripple of the creeks, and the soft but chilly autumn wind blowing the last of the leaves across the grasses.
We were unsuccessful in harvesting an animal but had a glorious day together. On our way home, my sister had a lamb dinner waiting for us, and over the dinner conversation, my brother-in-law asked, “I’m curious: while sitting there for hours, did you have any profound thoughts?”
I thought back through the day and realized the only profound thought I had was that I did NOT have any profound thoughts. All the chaotic thinking disappeared, and we were just … there. In the woods. Listening.
And that was just the delicious, regenerative gift I needed.
The week leading up to my birthday, while the world was imploding with horrific news of human destruction, I felt guilty to be living such a joyful, safe life. Watching the Jackson Hole High School Homecoming football game and Nico’s high school lacrosse tournament, I felt so grateful for what we have here in this country. During the “senior night” family recognition, tears streamed down my cheeks - and I didn’t even know any of the kids. How can we be so blessed while others suffer so?
Walking with friends and dogs among the falling leaves filled my heart at the end of long work days.
Note: at one point, we collected so many pets from friends in the neighborhood who were ill or undergoing surgery that we overdid it. Do not try this!!!
And then this happened …
The photo below was taken on the opening night of Cascade - “a celebration and sacred circle where those thirsting for a heart-led future came to convene, create, and accelerate our expansion towards higher ground, together. The land was calling to us, asking us to open our hearts, be still, listen, share, and relate to each other in a new way.”
The white lights shaped like angels in this photo were invisible to the human eye.
A recap of this event is for another story.
Still, the takeaway is that so much inherent human goodness, love, and peace is growing in our communities. We can evolve - but all of us need to rest and rejuvenate to continue to embrace this beautiful struggle.
So go outside and have some fun!
Here are some of the best things I’ve read this week to help me process the terrors of war …
Happiest of birthdays to you my beautiful friend. The conflicting emotions that toggle between feeling so lucky for the life we live and the utter heart break for those who are in so much pain is certainly real. I find myself in tears almost everyday as I head out on beautiful adventures here in NW Arkansas as I feel all the feels. We are truly lucky and I am so glad you spent your birthday with your amazing son and got to just feel. LOVE YOU