I noticed years ago a natural rhythm that tends to arise in my life in the heat of the Summer months. Like all the plants bursting from the earth, I go through an intense period of growth whether I want to or not. This cycle is in line with the experiences of many around me as well. Something about this season heralds action and a re-discovery of what drives us. Fire energy!
Last summer I fell in love with someone (and with myself) while experiencing the transcendant power of grief and loss. This summer I am learning how to nurture and navigate that love while experiencing both new losses and new connections.
These cycles of growth are never easy. But I don't think we grow in ease; we grow through challenges. The tender buds that we planted as seeds don't sprout from the ground without some hurdles. With the right nutrients and support, they push themselves up, reaching for the sun. They spread and compete for space and resources, sometimes caught up in rocks or the roots established by other plants. They react to predators and those that invade their space. They go through periods of drought or frost, become hardy or wilt away.
What obstacles are you facing? Are you getting the right nutrients you need? Are you in the right environment? All these challenges can hurt and stall us. Our beloved branches may bend or even break after a storm. The tendrils we put out in search of connection get stepped on or tangled. We'll lose grace, lose faith, lose connection. But we can always find them again. We may come to learn that the branch that broke off was hindering us all this time. And the clumsy foot that crushes our leaves may yet carry our essence and plant our seeds elsewhere.
Hopefully my analogy is making sense.
What I mean to suggest is that whatever period of growth you're experiencing this summer, trust the process. Don't let your mind linger long on the pain that growth can bring. That's not the role of the mind. The role of the mind is to be a tool for creativity and innovation, to ferry your plans. It is the task of the soul to deal with emotion, including grief and pain. There is no outthinking, outsmarting, or outmanuevering pain. It is an energy that must flow somewhere, like all energy must flow somewhere. If you allow it to flow through you, it will move on. But if you push back with resistance to these emotions, you're only stalling the natural flow of that energy.
The Earth, the Cosmos, the Universe are all here to support and guide you. And your inner being knows the way.
So in honor of the Summer Solstice, I've made this poem. It is about the Sun, but it is also about me. I can relate to the Sun. I blaze too intensely sometimes. I can annoy or even harm others without meaning or wanting to. My light is powerful, and sometimes unwelcome. But that is all part of me. And it is a part of everyone. Sometimes, we're a lot to take in. And that's okay.
Sun Lover
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Everything I touch is gold,
An alchemist's soul in me.
All I'm given to hold
Is something I want set free.
Under the strength of my blaze
You may wish to take flight
And find shade enough
That you still appreciate my light.
When you freely enter into my warmth
Your thoughts may scatter to dream.
Linger a bit longer at the hearth
And your awaking senses might scream.
The Sun -- a god, a lover --
One that seeks you in the dark
Who helps you to discover, uncover
Whatever may dim your spark.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
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Beautiful. Just beautiful.