Hello, my friend!
My husband and I are ready to be empty nesters again. We’re ready for the quiet order, and to know who is coming and going at 3 a.m.
↓ In today’s email:
- This week’s inspiration: The push and pull of letting go
- Latest blog post: How acupuncture might help a busy brain settle down
- What I read this week: Wild Ocean
This Week’s Inspiration: The Push and Pull of Letting Go
Photograph by Sasha Israel.
Parenthood seems like a constant clinging and letting go. The push and pull with the children is constant. So is the wish to be my own person.
All the while, I dream of unglamorous things like staring out the window, latte in hand. I also dream of bucket-list trips to Raja Ampat, Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, or (oh, gasp!) gem shopping in Jaipur. A dream!
But with an empty house and time, other worlds are revealed through meditation. No 24 hours of travel required.
At the moment, my husband and I both feel like we’re 42 weeks pregnant with children who are old enough to drink and vote. We’re past our due date. Past what we can bodily accommodate.
They need to go. Have their lives. Give us some much-needed rest.
While I’m wishing for their departure, I also envision reunions for birthdays in New York and Philly come fall, and the tide washing them all back by late November. Four children with their partners. Friends, food, laughter, and cocktails.
But until then, there will be silence and the blessing of a clean kitchen.
Maybe a bit of music, too: Enjoy the Silence.
As we enter a new week, what contradictions are you feeling? What do you dream of? Where do you plan to go?
Report back.
Latest Blog Post
How Acupuncture Works to Relieve Stress and Anxiety in Women
In the interest of rest, relaxation, a little more calm, and shutting this whole thing down...how do we turn off a busy brain?
Acupuncture might help some people feel calmer, though research on anxiety remains limited. That’s what this week’s post explores.
What I Read This Week
Wild Ocean: A Journey to the Earth’s Last Wild Coasts
At my bedside this week: wildlife from oceans all over the world.
It seems uniquely in line with the energy we need: more yin. In Chinese medicine, we describe hot flashes and night sweats through yin—the cooling, receptive side of the balance. It’s a traditional way of understanding these symptoms.
So before bed, I’m reading the most yin book: deep-sea creatures calming the mind. It’s a coffee-table book, too big for a lap, and it unwinds me before sleep.
Happy week to come. Talk soon!
Dr. Catherine