September Reflections
Three questions for the end of September
I’m borrowing these three reflection questions from Emily P. Freeman’s September newsletter. Let’s dive right in!
Name a moment of deep joy from September
Re-connecting with some students that I worked with last year and some new students this year has held many joyful moments. One student plays peekaboo with me from across the room. Another one randomly ran across the yard to give me a ginormous rambunctious hug. We are beginning to find our rhythms together, and that in itself is a joyful thing.
Another joyful moment was seeing the harvest supermoon! The moon was gorgeous. I was out on a walk that night and enjoyed seeing how groups of people had gathered in places that provided a good view of the moon. People were talking, laughing, taking pictures, and just generally all standing still together, in one place, in awe of the same moon. It was nice.
But without a doubt, the most joyous moment of September was the moment that Ricky arrived home after being away on a work trip for ten days. (This moment was 7:37 a.m., on September 20, if anyone wants to know the actual, specific moment.) I did quite well on my own, but the relief of having Ricky safely home again was overwhelming in the best way!
What’s something you’re proud of from September?
I’m quite proud of how I filled the ten days that Ricky was away in British Colombia for work. I have never lived by myself for that many days and felt feelings of excitement and dread. To prepare for it, I made a list of things that I thought would be fun to do while on my own. This happened during the first full weeks of the school year which are always exhausting and disorienting for me, so when making my plans I strove to plan enough to keep me from feeling bored/mopey, while also leaving lots of time for just lying on the couch pondering all my life choices so far. (In a completely non-spiraling, non-panicky way, of course. A little healthy pondering never hurt anybody…)
The things that I enjoyed doing included…
Spending lots of time outside in the late afternoon/early evening. The weather was beautiful, so I did lots of walking, journaling, and reading outdoors.
Getting together with a friend to watch a few episodes of Gilmore Girls on a Friday evening.
Having a Saturday September beach day with a friend
Going to my family’s place for Sunday lunch
Going to bed excessively early
Eating a lot of delicious sandwiches. (And, let’s just be honest here, I also ate a solid amount of delicious takeout food.)
Processing my thoughts and feelings through writing. Without Ricky here to talk stuff through with, I found myself pulling out my journal and working through things there. It was surprisingly effective. It shouldn’t be surprising to me at this point, but it was. It feels good to me to write things down. To follow my scrawls on the page until they eventually take me to something beautiful, gracious, and true.
It was good and interesting for me to be on my own for awhile, but Ricky coming home was the absolute best thing.
What is a recent prayer you’ve borrowed?
I have found myself returning to Mary Oliver’s poem “Logos” again and again this past month. It’s not exactly a prayer, I guess, but it touches on something that feels like a prayer to me.
May I be someone who lovingly speaks and behaves in a way that creates expansion.
May I accept the miracles, and accept love.
A Few Photos from the Month
Books I’ve Read
Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi
This book was eye-opening for me. While reading it, it occurred to me that I haven’t read many books about slavery in America as an adult. The brutality of what took place is appalling. We follow the lives of members of two different families and the way they intertwine in Ghana and America over a span of three hundred years. Yes, this means that each chapter is about a different character. This would have the potential to feel messy and disorienting, and you definitely do need to keep your wits about you, but the storytelling is well done and captivating.
James, by Percival Everett
Another book that contributes to telling the heartbreaking story of slavery in America. James is a re-telling of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. I’ve never read Huckleberry Finn, so I cannot speak to how closely the two mirror each other. It’s difficult to read about how James, a compassionate and intellectual black man, is demeaned, underestimated, and abused by white people. This book prompted thoughts about how not taking a stand when something wrong is happening means that you are part of the problem. Being neutral doesn’t make a difference. Also, doing things out of a sense of “Christian duty” can take on a different tone that doing things out of genuine love, respect, and belief in the human rights of our fellow human beings.
A Few October Goals…
To only go into a grocery store once a week! Somehow I already failed in this area in the past week. Twice. Hence, the need for this goal!
To fully enjoy the autumnal weather. Hiking, making seasonal food, embracing coziness, reading, etc.
To continue developing an after-work rhythm that works well for me. Why am I always struggling with this one?
To address the issue of the second bedroom in our apartment. It’s currently functioning as a holding space for bikes, exercise stuff, some furniture/belongings we need to sell, and just a lot of other random stuff. This room has been an ongoing problem for me. I’m fine with using the space to hold some of the less aesthetic aspects of our lives, but it’s gotten out of control recently.
Do you have any moments of joy, things you’re proud of, or prayers that you’ve borrowed from the month of September? I’d love to hear them!