Summertime

Friends,

We are now well into the fullness of a welcome summer with family visits, warmer temperatures and a “lazy days” vibe. Those of us on a more comfortable and secure side of life are enjoying an opportunity to appreciate the gift of the wonders of creation and a special freedom of body and soul that the season offers. I hope we are all savoring the fresh food, the summer concerts, the abundance of flowers, and birds and wildlife that have been such a delight this past month. I especially have enjoyed the exuberance of the bright yellow finches and their kin flitting on and off a crowded thistle seed bird feeder. And our very special backyard animal presence this spring has been baby twin fawns, one of which is half leucistic* with a mottled white hind end. His/her mother parades the two of them through our yard every couple of days, which means whatever we’re doing we stop to admire the surprising genetic twists and turns in nature.

And like many of you we are enjoying family visits, or visiting others this summer. Our son, wife and two girls, aged 5 and 9, are visiting us for three weeks to allow us all precious, extended time together, given they live in Cambridge and longer visits are rare. To have so much added life in our otherwise quiet, retirement household is both so welcome and challenging as Cathy and I are reminded of our limited physical reserve. But as other grandparents know we are also grateful to be relieved of much of the front-line responsibilities and for our night's rest and naps. Whether you also are immersed in visits or travel, or actually just taking time to rest the body and soul, we all need the refreshment of a different set of responsibilities and pace, and we need to acknowledge and celebrate what the summer offers. I hope those needs are being met for each of you.

But a more difficult life goes on in the rest of the world. The news of the devastation of the Texas floods remind us that the power of nature looms over us, and each of our environments has its own liabilities. And the news of starvation in Gaza and the horrible bombing in too many parts of the world are always on our hearts and souls. The whole indeterminate actions of the Trump administration keep us in a limbo about how our political challenges will all turn out.

Holding both the security and pleasure I enjoy in life, while also continuing to be humbly attentive to the woes of the world, has become a necessary art form of creating and maintaining an attentive, prayerful heart, mind, and soul in the face of it all. In some ways, of course, it is a privilege to have the space to securely reflect on, and engage in, the fullness life, versus so much turmoil in the rest of the world.

Many blessings and good, summer days to you all,
Peace,
Tom
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*Leucism is a condition that causes white, pale, or patchy coloration of the skin, hair, feathers, scales, or cuticles, but not the eyes. It can result from genetic mutations or injury, and affects various species such as lions, horses, ravens, and snakes.