2025

I recently participated in a solstice reflection workshop facilitated by my long time friend, Steph. We met in kindergarten and somehow have stayed in touch across the decades and continents. It has been an absolute delight to read her essays and participate in her workshops. We have been meeting quarterly at the solstice and equinox since last year. It was really fun to see this come full circle. The other participants are from many countries around the world and it really feels good to connect in this way, like we are building a web of peace around this planet, one little tethered connection at a time.  

2025 was a hard year for me personally. And my problems seem trite compared to what some friends and family are facing. 

Last winter, one of Laurel's book club picks was the Diary of Anne Frank. This was a re-read for me, and I was surprised at how delightful her writing was, how normal of a teenage girl she seemed, and how one of the biggest challenges for her was boredom. After we read the book, we watched a mini-series called a Small Light, which tells the story of Miep and Jan Gies, who helped the Frank family while they were in hiding. Prior to viewing this I had a really difficult time understanding how people allowed the arrest, deportation and murder of their neighbors. Did they really not know??!! But this show did an excellent job of showing that resisting or aiding targeted people would put you in grave danger...but by doing nothing about it or looking the other way, you could live your life and remain safe from the threats. Children going to prison because of their ethnicity? That is so ridiculous it's hard to believe any politician is selling it. But it happened then, and it's happening now. It was also interesting to see how Miep and Jan - a married couple -  didn't even share details of their resistance work with each other...too dangerous for all involved. 

Still, good things happened. Joy. Connection. Curiosity.

We moved into a new neighborhood and the kids are delighted to have their own bedrooms, and a library and swimming pool and park they can walk to.

We took a trip to Canada to visit our former neighbors from Braddock Avenue. We went surfing for the first time, and spent a ton of time swimming and kayaking in the lakes, enjoying the quiet evenings, and eating fresh seafood.

We spent almost 4 months together in Mexico City, met so many amazing people and absolutely immersed ourselves in art, food and learning Spanish. Laurel and M are returning for one more month this winter, and I'm sure we'll all return again in the future.

M and I got out a bit more as adults, saw some cool shows, rediscovered some creative practices and we are both really enjoying language learning.

The biggest thing I learned in 2025 was to hold the space for enchantment and horror at the same time. Terrible things are happening, and we must do whatever we can to fight them. But it is a marathon, so you must pace yourself. Work enough, and then stop. Linger at the table. Be absolutely unbothered by traffic, by inconvenience. Be absolutely enchanted by the ripple across the lake at sunset, by a surfer catching a good wave, the way a child's face lights up when they first start to read. For many years poetry has been a salve for me, a touchstone for difficult times. 

Do all the good you can

By all the means you can

In all the ways you can

In all the places you can

At all the times you can

To all the people you can

As long as you ever can.

-John Wesley