Letter to my Children: Day Drinking, The Overstory, Self Judgement

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Letter to my Children: Day Drinking, The Overstory, Self Judgement

My dearest beloveds,

I have gone back and forth about this missive several times. It is a poem (see below*) and now a whole lot more.

To summarize, on the last full day of our magical vacation I felt so confronted by the situation I self-medicated with two White Russians, an Aperol Spritz, and a Mojito. Not surprisingly, I passed out on the beach after lunch.

What situation? I hear you both ask. You sailed everyday, ate passionfruit and mango, gazed at the ocean while doing yoga, and swung on a trapeze for the first time in your life.

Yes, that is all true, it was truly divine.

AND every morning BIPOC bodies of former European colonies collected cigarette butts, empty champagne glasses, errant volleyballs, straightened beach chairs, and prepared food for 98% White European bodies.

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Thoughts on the Ego, Time, and Global North conditioning

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Thoughts on the Ego, Time, and Global North conditioning

In my experience of yoga retreats, meditation retreats, whoo whoo doings (as my mother would say) - they are great on experiences and terrible when it comes to starting on time, ending on time, sticking to a schedule.

I felt myself very confronted by this fact recently and I spent some time sitting with it.

Then I realized - of course meditators are terrible at time - time only exists in the world of the ego.

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Letter to my children: Life is Both And

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Dearest Beloveds,

According to Oak Meadow, the Hopi Creation story involves a Spider Woman who sings the Song of Creation to bring forth all life. She also puts a soft spot on the top of people’s heads so that they might be able to listen to the Creator. Eventually, people forget the Creator anyway and a great flood is sent to punish the wicked and start over. The few people who are saved in reed boats (thanks to Spider Woman) are brought back to a world where “there are now hardships so people will never forget their dependence on the Divine.”

For the two of you, that is this week’s story. A story we recalled as you two bounced around the room. A story to imagine as we painted onto dripping paper in yellows and blues and reds. A story the Bean summarized into her Main Lesson Book in her cursive. For your mother, it has pierced my soul.

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Letters to my children: Homeschool Circle Time learnings

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Letters to my children: Homeschool Circle Time learnings

Dearest Beloveds,

The effects of covid range from the tragic to the ridiculous. Tragic - thousands dead. Ridiculous - Dragon you do not know the words or the hand movements to children’s songs.

I had assumed you would know them and was rather shocked and sad at your first Kindergarten circle time.

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Homeschool learnings: First Landing vs Plymouth Rock

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Homeschool learnings: First Landing vs Plymouth Rock

Recently we visited the number one state park in Virginia: First Landing State Park. So named in honor of the “English colonists” who first landed in 1607. The beach was warm, the cabins were delightful, the bicycling under the fir trees was peaceful and magical, and my brain exploded with the history.

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