A few years ago I learned a breathing practice that I return to from time to time. You break the breath into four parts — inhale, pause at the top, exhale, pause at the bottom — and imagine each of those as a season. The inhale is the invigorating rush of relief that comes with the first signs of spring. The top of of the inhale is that fullness and bursting quality normally associated with summer. The exhale is that feeling of relief and return in autumn, as things start to wind down and wend inward, back to center. The bottom of the exhale is that wintery stillness, a low point, an eerie calm as you wait for the next breath.
I'm saving my favorite line: "I promise you that there is some relief in admitting that. In feeling your disappointment, feeling some grief for the summer we felt we all deserved."
It sucked. Watch the earth die, and locally, salmon go instinct while waiting to see if we are going to be climate refugees due to fires and/or wells running dry any time soon, while breathing wildfire smoke and being stuck behind logging trucks to and from my "essential worker" gig ie glorified working poor. Mental/spiritual/physical/financial health in tatters and can't complain because when I looked around the world and see what other people are dealing with I feel guilty for having it better than them....it sucked. Micro plastics and Fukushima fall out for all and for all a good night. Oh yeah, and theres that ol' pandemic thing where either your wondering if your going to die or accidentally kill people you love or just have long term health damages...yeah, it sucked.
And I’m so jealous that you got to meet your little nephew… not sure how the summer metaphor works in Australia but I guess I’m sitting in lockdown waiting to inhale.
Love reading your emails Rosie…. Hopefully soon they will let me out of this house/country and I can visit you/your nephew etc!
Sorry to hear your summer sucked. Dealing with the pandemic is different for everyone and your routines are similar to my own. Personally, I found this summer quite good, though I recognise I am living in a cool place to be in the summer. The weather was decent and the cottages/lakes in Finland allowed for great swimming, Fishing and long evenings spent in either summer cottage veranda's or terraces.
My only problem so far is not been able to travel to the UK till around now. Something I will rectify this month despite the immense amount of laughable bullshit the UK govt is forcing on people. They have 35,000+ cases a day in the UK but even if you're double vaccinated you have to pay for 2 tests to enter the country (more if you have connecting flights) and with a much higher probability to catch it there. Finland in comparison has only 650 cases a day at the moment. I think it's time for governments globally to simply say if you can't prove double vaccination with XYZ vaccine, no entry unless quarantined and tested, but if you can, no restrictions. Would significantly improve everything and it's still relatively safety-conscious.
Happy to read that it wasn't just me :)
I'm saving my favorite line: "I promise you that there is some relief in admitting that. In feeling your disappointment, feeling some grief for the summer we felt we all deserved."
Definitely not just you!
It sucked. Watch the earth die, and locally, salmon go instinct while waiting to see if we are going to be climate refugees due to fires and/or wells running dry any time soon, while breathing wildfire smoke and being stuck behind logging trucks to and from my "essential worker" gig ie glorified working poor. Mental/spiritual/physical/financial health in tatters and can't complain because when I looked around the world and see what other people are dealing with I feel guilty for having it better than them....it sucked. Micro plastics and Fukushima fall out for all and for all a good night. Oh yeah, and theres that ol' pandemic thing where either your wondering if your going to die or accidentally kill people you love or just have long term health damages...yeah, it sucked.
Solidarity. To all of that.
English summers are never that good are they? 😜
And I’m so jealous that you got to meet your little nephew… not sure how the summer metaphor works in Australia but I guess I’m sitting in lockdown waiting to inhale.
Love reading your emails Rosie…. Hopefully soon they will let me out of this house/country and I can visit you/your nephew etc!
We live in hope! Thanks for reading
Sorry to hear your summer sucked. Dealing with the pandemic is different for everyone and your routines are similar to my own. Personally, I found this summer quite good, though I recognise I am living in a cool place to be in the summer. The weather was decent and the cottages/lakes in Finland allowed for great swimming, Fishing and long evenings spent in either summer cottage veranda's or terraces.
My only problem so far is not been able to travel to the UK till around now. Something I will rectify this month despite the immense amount of laughable bullshit the UK govt is forcing on people. They have 35,000+ cases a day in the UK but even if you're double vaccinated you have to pay for 2 tests to enter the country (more if you have connecting flights) and with a much higher probability to catch it there. Finland in comparison has only 650 cases a day at the moment. I think it's time for governments globally to simply say if you can't prove double vaccination with XYZ vaccine, no entry unless quarantined and tested, but if you can, no restrictions. Would significantly improve everything and it's still relatively safety-conscious.
Anyhow. Keep breathing. :)
I am glad you enjoyed your summer!