Waiting. What does that really mean? Waiting for what? Waiting for whom? And when we wait, are we stopping everything else? Are we allowing life to pass us by as we sit and wait for something that is not yet here?
What are some themes that you picked up on over the past week? Inclusion? Nourishment? Mortality? Yes, those are mine, HA. OK, I have to look at my calendar to jog my memory of this past week. Here it goes:
My Thursday strength training class with Beth Acton (she’s the best, look her up) I brought my dad. He’s 88 years old. Last year he had a major health crisis and almost did not make it. A lot changed because of that pivotal moment: he moved into my building, he took a step back from working (oh yes, at 88 years old he was still working with me at our Painting Company), and focused on recovery. He got some new fancy glasses, a new furnished space, and a new lease on life. He is doing better than he ever has. Love and community moves mountains. Loneliness and isolation kills. He really enjoyed the class and is coming with me now once a week. He’s old school; I feel like he’s training for that last bight brawl. HA.
My partner and I went undercover to a right leaning radical group town hall meeting. I live in Alberta. That is all I will say. We didn’t stay as the group specifically said no questions, interruptions and disruptions will be tolerated during the program. The misinformation and outright lies were jarring and compounded throughout the presentation. People desperately want witnesses to their struggles and find comfort in group-think that supports their pain points. We need to do better in supporting people without judgement. Everyone has the right to basic needs…and love and understanding.
We visited a local restaurant close to our neighbourhood that I had forgotten about. We have been there twice in the last two weeks. It’s now our place. It is perfect. Both my partner and I live for after dinner coffee, and proper espresso. This place has it and uses locally roasted beans. Likely one of the best cups of coffee I have had in a long time. It’s what we love to do: sit and sip coffee and just talk about everything and anything.
At 51 years old I am surprisingly facing my mortality. I think that checks. It hits most people around this age. Where we take stock of our lives. We think, “Can I do better and be better?” We assess. We make changes. We work on making them stick. And so, I have introduced a 30 minute morning walk. Headphones and a podcast. Monday, Wednesday, Friday. After, a smoothie. Next up: working back in some yoga at home with Heart & Bones Yoga. I have known the owner Brea for over two decades. As I reflect back before the pandemic and before yoga studios became a place for questionable creeps - it was a rhythm I loved in my life. The community and the movement. That has changed, and so has a lot of things in the social realm. It has become more online than ever before. So, how can we make it feel more like a community again?
Side note: Heart & Bones has a suggested weekly playlist of classes to take. A variety of instructors, lengths of time and focus: anywhere from a 10 minute class to stretch your shoulders, to a 30 minute class to unwind and breathe. It’s like creating your own yoga/movement studio at home.
Alright lovelies that sums it all up, for now. I hope you have witnesses in your life. I hope your heart moves to a rhythm that feels good and right for you. I hope you have community that you feel a part of. Until next time…I plan to publish an Unpaused this week…so more to come and more to say. I love you.
ELLASAID