Hi, friends,
I hope February is treating you well. We’ve been cycling through spring-warm weather and icy wind out of the Columbia River Gorge here in Portland. Mostly, it’s raining—not unexpected here at all.
Occasionally, the sun comes out and when I step into the warmth and light, I want to lie down and stretch out in it like a cat. Like, literally—I walk past a window at the day job office full of people and emergencies, straight into the sun’s rays. And I stop to soak it in.
A couple of weeks ago, I traveled to the coast for a weekend with friends. While we were there, we went to Cape Perpetua and walked along the lava formations while the tide roared in on spectacular waves and foam and spray. The ocean drew every ounce of stress out of my body and soul and pulled it out to sea. On every inhale, I breathed in the sweet salt air and it filled me with possibility and promise.
This is the stuff that reminds me I’m more than my busy mind and aching heart. It reminds me that I’m a human being with a soft animal body, connected to the world in a visceral, physical way. That this connection is a gift.
Is there a place where you feel connected like that? When you’re feeling far away from that connection, I invite you to close your eyes, conjure the magic of sense memory, and find it again.
All my best,
Leslie