Happy Summer Solstice!

I am fortunate enough to live in the land of "endless summer," but we still pretend we have seasons. Meaning, it is still "winter" when it is 70 degrees on Christmas Day. So, in celebration of the "official" start of summer, I will post some photos that bear a remarkable resemblance to the "winter" photos that I posted in January. Humor me:)

The main thing that most kids enjoy about summer, is NO SCHOOL! Parents, not so much. This means double the work for us, and more sibling disputes to settle. My sons are already testing my patience. I may need to send for reinforcements! .........I wonder if that sleep away camp still has spots open?

In any event, the season is upon us, and even though this means my precious beach will be more crowded (isn't it my own personal sanctuary?), I do enjoy seeing all the kids enjoying themselves, and the happiness is palpable in the air.......most of the time.

Happy Summer, and my blog will return next week! xoxoxo

Are you "in bloom?"

You may have heard the expression, "Bloom where you are planted." I love this saying, especially on days when I am feeling discouraged at my perceived "lack of (fill in the blank)."  The word that stands out to me in that sentence is LACK.  Do you focus on what you don't have, or do you validate yourself for what you have done, and how far you have come? We are all evolving, whether we like it or not, whether we are conscious of the process, or not.  This morning, I saw a rose bush with dozens of new buds, and it struck me how all these buds will open at different times, some may not ever open fully, others will be picked, and still others will have their entire growth cycle on the bush. At the end of the rose's growth cycle, it is the most open it will ever be, and then it starts to wither away. The bush sees the same sunshine, the same water, and the same weather conditions, but each bud is different, even if only slightly.

The evolution of humans also follows this pattern, yet we are constantly trying to force ourselves to be like everyone else, follow the path someone else wants for us, and generally just denying ourselves the beauty that is our uniqueness. We beat ourselves up for "blooming" more slowly, or diferently, than how we think we "should." If we really just accepted ourselves for where we are now, and who we are now, we would free oursleves to blossom in ways we never imagined!

Free yourself to bloom!