The Blessing of Reflection
My unintentional summer solstice celebration
If you look through the archives of Smaller & Deeper, you will see that I often write about the turning of the seasons.
This summer solstice found me in Big Sky Montana in full golf mom mode. Between a late tee time, checking out of the hotel, entertaining my daughter and me for hours while my son played, and a looming seven-hour drive home, which could only begin when the golf tournament was over, the summer solstice wasn’t top of mind.
And yet, when I review how my day was spent, I wonder if I unintentionally or intentionally marked the day appropriately—more so than I knew at the time.
After my son was set for his golf round, my daughter and I headed further up the mountain to the Big Sky resort, where we got a sandwich and a drink. We took our picnic on a chair lift to almost the top of Lone Mountain (11,166 ft). We found some rocks at the tree line and enjoyed our sandwiches with a fantastic vista from what felt like the world's top. We had several people, with unguarded excitement, point out places with an even better view... “If you just go right up there, it’s not very far; you can get a 360-degree view!”
After our adventures on the mountain, riding up and down two chair lifts and taking a few leisurely walks to see the views, we headed down and back near the golf course. With hours left before my son finished and the looming drive home, we visited a local park tucked at the base of a mountain and edged by a river. We found a shady tree, and I stretched out on the ground for an afternoon nap.
When the golf tournament was done (my son did great!), we began our road trip across Montana and Eastern Idaho toward home. I wish I could say I savored the sunset on the year's longest day. I didn’t. I was fighting the sun, driving on the freeway, squinting with the harsh, bright sun setting in my eyes, making the road difficult to see. As difficult as the sun was, we had an unencumbered view of the sunset, which was pink and purple, so intensely bright! As challenging as it was, it was breathtaking, too.
Initially, I was bummed and disappointed that I let the summer solstice pass without pause. But then, I let my disappointment lead me to the recognition that I unintentionally, intentionally did notice, celebrate, and mark the summer solstice.
A picnic at the top of an 11,000-foot mountain with 360-degree views, a nap on the grass in the shade of a tree, and hours of watching a vibrant and colorful sunset, perhaps the summer solstice, didn’t pass me by.
Reflecting on these three parts of that day, I wonder if each part had something to teach me.
On top of the mountain, 360-degree views matter a lot to people. It does make sense. Few things are as naturally awe-inspiring as standing on a mountain, with smaller mountains as far as the eyes can see. Closer to sky, clouds, mountains, and trees, one is reminded of our place in the vastness of earth and space. We could see the golf course where my son was playing. We knew every hole had players, yet the course looked empty from the top of the mountain. The vast space swallowed all the players.
Sometimes, it’s good to get some perspective. The afternoon on the mountaintop reminds me that I should try to get myself to a place where I can get a 360-degree view of my life on occasion. It’s helpful to consider my path from a different vantage point, to look at places I know well from a different location, and to see what emerges as I review with fresh eyes.
That nap on the ground, underneath a tree, I was “grounding” or “earthing” myself. I’ve heard about this concept, and while it sounds good, I didn’t know if it was anything more than just “woo-woo” ideas. It turns out there is a lot of research that shows that grounding is a meaningful healing practice.
These are a few points on grounding.1
Earthing (grounding) connects people to the Earth's natural healing energy.
Reduces inflammation, pain, and stress; improves blood flow, sleep, and vitality.
Earthing is a simple, profound lifestyle addition, requiring no effort or dieting.
Earthing is a GROSSLY overlooked factor in health and healing.
Earthing should be recommended by health professionals to patients.
Napping in the shade of a tree at the moment of the summer solstice, that feels right. The nap and what I’ve learned about “grounding” or “earthing” reminds me to pause daily to feel the grass beneath my feet-it costs nothing and seems to offer great rewards.
That sunset drive that I didn’t love because the sun was in my eyes was beautiful. I would have missed the colors and light if I had been comfy at home on my couch. I don’t often take the time to watch the sunset, and yet, captive in my car, it was the only option. As the miles passed, we felt the sun slip lower in the sky. We saw the pink and purple grow in intensity and were aware of when the last ray dipped beneath the horizon. We watched the almost full moon take its place.
The drive home was grueling and challenging, but when I think back on the beauty of the summer solstice sun, I admit there were blessings with every mile we clocked. This reminds me that sometimes blessings hide, only to be revealed when we are ready to reflect, gather, and savor.
What about you? What is summer inviting you to and reminding you of?
Blessing
May moments of grace never catch you unaware.
May your eyes, heart, and spirit be open to the grace of what shares common space, air, and water with you.
May the peace their presence offers gently fall on you.
May your eyes and heart be open.
These are a few ideas I’ve shared for noticing the changing season and summer solstice.
Pause in the next few days and notice the sun and the length of the day.
Notice the tilt of your heart—the invitation of energy.
Enter the season of summer with intention and purpose.
Some {SMALL} ideas:
Draw, write, paint-create something to mark the beginning of the summer season.
Summer is a season of growth, deepening, and abundance. Look for these qualities in yourself.
Get up early and watch the sunrise.
Watch the sunset.
Eat a piece of fruit and appreciate the present moment.
Some {DEEP} ideas:
Reflection Questions (from The Circle of Life-Summer Solstice Celebration Ritual)
What is your life’s passion at this point in your journey?
Is it still hidden, or has it made itself known to you?
Is it waiting in the wings?
Is it alive and active?
How would you name it?
How do you feel about it?
Are you living it?
What is your approach to it?
What do you need to do to have the flame in your soul leap with life?
I’m sharing some collected quotes on the summer solstice. As you read each quote, see if a word or phrase catches your attention or offers you an invitation. Take the words on a walk with you this week and see what unfolds, sparkles, and is revealed!
"Solstice is taken from two Latin words, sol which means sun, and stitium, to stand still. The summer solstice is the time of year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the equator, a time when it appears that the sun has stopped moving higher in the sky. On this day, the length of time with sunlight is the longest."
-Joyce Rupp & Marina Wiederkehr The Circle of Life: The Heart's Journey Through the Seasons
“Allow the sun’s energy to illuminate your being by taking some time to really appreciate all that is positive and joyful in your life right now. Becoming aware that this time too will pass reminds us of the importance of stopping now and then simply to enjoy the good things that we have created in our lives.”
― Danu Forest, The Magic of the Summer Solstice
“...This is the solstice, the still point of the sun, its cusp and midnight,
the year’s threshold and unlocking, where the past lets go of and becomes the future; the place of caught breath, the door of a vanished house left ajar...” ― Margaret Atwood
“Both the Winter and the Summer Solstices are expressions of love. They show us the opposition of light and dark, expansion and contraction, that characterize our experiences in the Earth school so that we can recognize our options as we move through our lives.” — Gary Zukav
‘Summer, after all, is a time when wonderful things can happen to quiet people. For those few months, you’re not required to be who everyone thinks you are, and that cut-grass smell in the air and the chance to dive into the deep end of a pool give you a courage you don’t have the rest of the year. You can be grateful and easy, with no eyes on you, and no past. Summer just opens the door and lets you out.’ – Deb Caletti
“June verges. It shifts. And it holds two forces at once: the start of summer, the start of darkening.”
― Nina MacLaughlin, Summer Solstice: An Essay
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550830719305476#sec0010