10 Things I Loved in June 2014

At the end of each month, I take stock of the previous month.  What went well?  What did I learn?  What brought me a simple joy?  These monthly reports are a way to encourage myself to take delight in the littlest of things.  I find that Ten Things I Loved allows me to always see the silver lining, even when there are hard moments in a month.  And taking joy in the simple things is paramount to how I want to live, making 10 things an invaluable tool for me.  Here’s this month’s simple pleasures.

Professional

Work with the hospital system.  For almost a year now, I have been working with one of the local hospital systems’ medical school office in order to provide reflection workshops and curriculum to a pilot group of their medical students.  That group finished the program earlier this month and doing the wrap-up of the year was really profound.  Moreover, I started working with first year students who are in Charlotte for a program designed to train doctors to better serve urban underserved populations and did work to kick-off year 2 of the third year medical school program (with all the 3^rd year students) in July.  Really interesting, compelling work that allows me to spend time working with doctors at the beginning of their career about how self-awareness, intentionality, purposefulness, and self-care can make a significant difference in their careers for them and their patients.      

Curve Camp.  What a wonderful weekend- from doing yoga daily to meeting wonderful women, from helping women think more deliberately about living on purpose to road tripping with a dear friend and eating incredible food.  Seriously.  Good times.   

Passion. Purpose. Plunge retreats.  Every one of these retreats leaves me inspired.  It is like a contact high to watch women very intentionally examine their lives, increase their self-awareness, and make claims for their future so they can live with passion and purpose.      

Circle de Luz graduation.  I know that I have talked about this excessively.  But, of course, the celebration of our first class’s graduations was just so touching.  These young women are so incredible, we have seen them grown so much, and we are just so excited for what’s next for them.  Now, time to focus on getting ready for our newest class!   

 Reconnecting with old students.  I have seen so many former students or friends who are students over this past month—from a young man who I taught as a student teacher in 1996 to Happy’s first babysitter who is now a senior in college.  It always thrills me to reconnect and see where people are today and how the foundation of who they were years ago still peers through their spirit.  Never gets old.         

Personal things

Extended Family time.  We’ve had lots of time with extended family this month—day trips to see my parents, a family reunion with BF’s family, and some birthday celebrating.  All good times with lots of laughter.

Book Club & Attachments.  I loved Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell so much that I eagerly recommended Attachments to my book club for our latest round of books.  It was great—a really fun read and then dinner at my house with some of my favorite women featured pimiento cheese and Fritos for an appetizer, shrimp salad with crusty bread, a summer vegetable tian, and a black eyed pea salad  (I used red wine vinegar in the dressing) for dinner, and then a lemon blueberry layer cake for dessert.  Can you tell I was going for Southern summer dishes?  Yum and fun!      

Pre-dinner gym classes.  The boys and I have gotten into a cool little summer weeknight ritual that all of us are really loving.  When BF gets home from work, he and Happy take off for the pool and I take off for the gym.  They splash and eat popsicles and I take a yoga or Pilates class.  We all meet back at home worn-out and ready for dinner.    

A daily plank   I started doing a daily plank at the end of May and it is such a good little ritual.  I just go to fatigue, trying to add a little bit of time each time, and visit a happy little meditative place in my head while doing it.

Mommy Camp  With summer here, we alternate a week of day camp with a week of what we call Mommy Camp which allows me a some time each month to get some work in and some time each month to really be with my boy.  Perfect balance.  We’re in the midst of mommy camp right now which means time for Physical Therapy, play dates, movies, bike riding, mile running, swimming, baking, reading, and some learning.

So, what did you love in June?