Friday was the summer solstice, marking the longest day, the shortest night, and the beginning of summer. Summer can be lazy or hectic, endless, or fleeting. Sometimes, we put a lot of pressure on summer to be the thing that fills us back up for the coming months.
While our plans and this season may deliver on our expectations, I find that keeping this one quote in mind takes the pressure off and opens the door to finding relief and joy along the way.
“Put yourself in the way of beauty.” – Cheryl Strayed
You spend so much of your time inside the walls of a hospital. You may drive to work in the dark, and then rush back to your car after a day of caring for fragile babies, frantically late for the people who need you at home – every single day, month, and year. Weeks may go by, and you forget to even look up at the sky.
No matter what you have planned for summer, prioritize putting yourself in the way of beauty. It doesn’t require paid time off, plane tickets, or the perfect vacation with an Insta-perfect family. It requires you to step off the hamster wheel for a moment and turn your attention, however briefly, to something you find beautiful. And then drink it in.
Over time, this becomes a habit that heals, an intentional nod to the gifts of summer that you can carry year-round. An intentional nod to your one precious life.
