STATE OF THE UNION

I met someone.

We sat next to each other at a delightful holiday dinner. Winter Solstice. Longest night. Promise of the light that is to come.

It was for me, at least, what felt like an immediate connection. And, our conversation about books, energy, vocation and what truly left us feeling grounded in the world…it reminded me how much I crave depth in my relationships.

Genuine female friendships fill a deep need I have to be understood and the longing I have to be accepted for who I am at heart without pretense, striving or pleasing. I want my soul to bear. And sometimes it needs a certain kind of witness.

There are some people who leave you with a sense of coming home. That’s how I felt sitting next to her.

Differently from a romantic relationship - I’m not love bombing, okay? I’m not worried about attachment. Of if she will stay. If we never spoke again, it meant something to my soul to connect with her for however long I do. It was a deep, energetic knowing. And I love it when that happens - meeting someone for the first time and the feeling that you’ve known them forever. Timeless. #wordoftheyear

Have you ever felt that way about someone?

It’s in the course of doing everyday things that we have the opportunity to see how extraordinary the world around us truly is. And the people in it. It’s the little moments, however fleeting, that add up to a lifetime of feeling safe and settled and calm + full of wonder, awe and amazement. If we take the time to notice.

Still, I get easily bogged down in negative patterns - asking for permission, questioning my choices, worrying, avoiding pain, telling stories in my head. I spend way too much energy trying to figure out how to avoid making a mistake or being misunderstood or being wrong.

The Body Keeps the Score. Have you read that book?

While the holidays whizzed by, I slowed my roll. I’ve been quietly trying to quiet my mind. To dig deep in my body and feel what is there. To notice my breathing. To feel the joy of calm and embrace it. To relish in the electricity of having a man in my life. To smell my boys in the house. To touch noses with my dog at night. The strength and power in my body is undeniable. And whole. And it is full of the best energy.

So, as I quiet my mind, I can tell you wholeheartedly that my body is calm. I am at peace. And that is a good place to be.

Circling back…how do you set intentions for the new year? I choose a word of the year. But did you know that the second Friday in January (this year, the 10th) is called quitter’s day? It’s when 80% of people give up on their new year’s resolutions. FYI. It’s coming up.

Keep reading for my hot take on the phrase “new year, new you” and what I do instead of resolutions.