Back to School
Well hello there!
I just got back from the annual flag ceremony at my kids’ elementary school. It’s a really sweet tradition where each class lines up in front of the school while the parents snap photos of their kiddos with all their buddies. Sometimes a kindergartener or two cries (at least 10 parents of kindergarteners always do). Meanwhile, the sixth graders try to avoid their parents’ cameras. It was fun.
Anyway . . . here comes the obligatory “how was your summer?” question. So . . . . how was your summer?
I actually do want to know, though. And not just the typical superficial stuff about the weather, the yard work, the trips to the beach or the campground. Don’t get me wrong, I love hearing about all the fun stuff you did, but if I ask you about your summer, your day or even your decade, please understand that what I’m really asking is: “What’s this life been like for you?” However you want to answer my inquiry – I’m into it.
I tell you this because when and if you end up in my office, there’s an open invitation to share what’s going on in your world. In fact, processing the inner workings of your mind while having the outer workings of your body tended to is a great way to integrate these two important but too-often separated aspects of ourselves. And I’m intensely committed to practicing non-judgment when it comes to relating to others, which means I accept you for who you are and respect your humanity (unless you hate puppies – if you hate puppies we’re gonna have trouble). More on the mind-body connection and healing the whole person (let’s not forget about the spirit) another time. . . if you dig that stuff, stay tuned for a future blog post..
Fun Fact: Are you kind of a private person? Me too! But don’t worry, I take your privacy very seriously. In fact just like your doctor, I’m bound by HIPPA. This means I NEVER share with anyone who has been on my massage table or what is said in my office without your written permission. In short, I know how to keep a secret.
Anyway, that was a long intro for what I intended to be a post about back-to-school time. If you have kids, I know this can be a bittersweet transition. It’ll be nice to have your life return to more of a routine, but the days get hectic with earlier mornings, practice/games, homework and exhausted kids. If you don’t have kids, I’m certain this time of year represents a shift nonetheless.
Do you see the color creeping into the leaves? The deeper blue of the sky by day, and the brighter stars by night? Can you smell the fermenting apples as you drive past a craggy roadside apple tree; a tree that was no doubt inadvertently planted there long ago by a passing deer or partridge? None of us can ignore the earlier sunsets or the chill that sets in just afterwards. I hope that no matter where you are, you get to witness a sunrise over a mountain, and then descend into a blanket of fog that covers the valley below.
Professionally-speaking, my kids heading back to school represents a bit more time for me to see clients and to ramble in this blog. If you dig it, let me know. I have turned off the comment option because I’m not yet brave enough to deal with the inevitable trolls that pass their time by criticizing even the, once-a-quarter bloggers like me, but I do like to hear feedback and I’m always looking for suggestions on what folks want to read about. If you want to book a massage, click here.
However this late-August/early September lands for you – whether as a relief, a stress, a delight or a combination of all of these, I hope you’re able to notice the subtle shifts that are happening. For me and some people I know, these are more than just visual cues that the seasons are changing; they are rich, sensory experiences of the rhythm that keeps time in a song we collectively call “Life in Vermont.”
Yours in wellness,
Abby
