swim.

a good teacher encourages a students to believe in oneself.
clearly, we are not all adept at doing "anything we put our minds to", despite that early cheer from many of our parents when we were little ones.
if we could do anything, well...
if I could do ANYTHING, well, I would probably not engage in much.  in fact, on days and during seasons of life where I have infinite time with little structure, I do just that...very little.
direction is necessary for me to feel able to focus.
self-awareness enables me to move forward...toward.

a couple of weeks ago, I spent five days in colorado diligently working on counseling skills.  not techniques really.  more lessons in listening.
each day brought challenge and stretching.
I had fun.
it turns out I have chosen a field that does, indeed, suit me.
I learned.
this master's degree I am pursuing is making me a deeper, better version of me.  not a new me.  a deeper version of me.  I like it.

at times, I feel like a broken record, playing the same song again and again, speaking of transition, change, and rebuilding my nest.  at the same moment, I think, aren't we all going through these stages?  starting over daily to work toward becoming and nesting?
I told someone recently that I feel my sweet spot may be where familiarity and mystery connect.
my rootedness and desire to be known needs some run-ins with brand new relationships and change of dynamic.
I need risk.
it makes me uncomfortable.  it humbles me.  sometimes I have to remind myself to breathe.
I need risk.
I also need roots.
they make me feel safe.  I smile more.  I get to be silly.  I feel supported.
I need roots.

swim.
feel the bottom of the pool.
know your muscles remember what to do.
push off the wall, float, breathe.
find a rhythm, and relax.
swim.

a steady job.
a new nest to be found.
studies abound.
relationships to deepen.

happy summer, friends!
cheers,
kb.

eyes that smile...

do you know what things in life make your eyes smile?
in my experience, it is of the utmost importance to remember said things and keep as near to them as possible.
I have at times made a list.
it helps.
my list is quite lengthy, as I am easily entertained and often a small child, but recently as I strive toward gaining a bit more focus, I see three items that rise to the top:

accents.
kiddos.
counseling.

my friend, tomàš is czech.  he was one of my manager's at a job in colorado, and he is delightful.
truly delightful.
one day, on a particularly stressful, frustrating afternoon working alongside this sweet man, I made a statement to the effect of "tomàš, this is ridiculous!".  in one of those providential moments, I thought to ask him how to translate the word 'ridiculous' into czech.  he thought for a bit and declared,
"hloupy' (hi-lōpē)!".  I replied, "yes!  that word even sounds ridiculous!"
and, so it began...  tomàš would teach me more and more words and phrases in his native language, and we both were both entertained and soothed by this distraction from the deep frustrations we faced at work.  oh, wait.  our language lessons actually started after I recognized a word he used in speaking with another czech who worked at the resort.  he said, "dobre", which means, 'good'.  I recognized it from a trip I took years ago to bulgaria.  saying "dobre" and showing a thumbs up was literally the extent of our ability to communicate for many of us.  tomàš beamed with joy when I acknowledged knowing this word!  that is where our discussion in language commenced.
I love language and culture.  an accent indicates both, and learning happens here.
every time.
london taught me to appreciate culture and international community.  joy lives here for me.

over the years, I have been blessed to make friends of many little ones...at camp, babysitting, kids of friends, teaching, etc.  no matter the setting, kids and I get along well.  they are honest, engaging, simple, deep, authentic, hilarious, accepting, and smart.

my master's studies are going well.  these classes are the thread that is keeping me focused on the larger goal I have to do counseling full time.  I think I have an idea of setting, as well.  I am working on it.  helping people process life is such an honour and a blessing to me.

so, for now, I will only mention these three that are on my overarching career track goal.  I know joy lives with these elements in my life, and in a time of life where there seems to be a fair bit of loss and more "real life" than I prefer, I go back to that list of things that make my eyes smile.
a real life example:
today, a girl at work mentioned by happenstance that she and her husband leave for boston tomorrow for week.  I nearly fell down with joy!  she asked me to tell her everything I know.
a couple of times my words got jumbled with that joy.  she giggled at me.  I loved it.  that conversation brought me out of my fog that had settled in this morning.
and, you know what?  when I go back to that list, I also realize that it has more on it than I sometimes remember.
I hope you make a list and lean in to those spots.

life is short and we are meant to live it fully.

happy wednesday!
cheers,
kb.

I choose HOPE.

oubliant ce qui est en arrière
et tendant vers ce qui est en avant... (phil. 3.13)

this saying to the left has become prominent as of late in regard to elizabeth warren's resistance toward being silenced.  I do not currently find myself in a place where people are unwilling to hear what I have to say, but I do very much like the sentiment and tenacity that this sentence speaks to my spirit.
whether up against a foe or a challenge or feeling a bit underneath stigma or lacking confidence, this charge carries connotation of effort, determination, and moxie.

I speak often of transition and change.  so much so that it almost seems rote or shoulder-shrugging typical, and though it has become a normal state of being for me in perhaps more obvious, tangible ways than some other people, the truth which also lies in this constant shifting is that it is full of emotion, loss, gain, and mindfulness.
my address is being altered beginning in march to a residence that is not a foreign one but one I call familiar.
it could seem like a "going-back".
but it is not.



it is a mindful decision to move forward.
I had a couple of questions that I needed to have answered here in this mountain town, and that task having now been accomplished, the next chapter needs to begin.

the choices others make, at times, make me sad.  

the choices I make, at times, make others sad, I know, as well.  (I wish that were not so.) 

but you know what? 

life is not a quest to avoid sadness.

it is about living life to the full.    

and feeling it ALL.

loving to the grandest, bravest extent.  

so, I am doing my best to live fully and sometimes that means more transition, whether my spirit would choose that decision firstly or not.  

I try to build relationships that last a lifetime.  so, ending any connection in a way that feels unfinished, hurt-filled, or lost leaves a wound.  

every.

time.

mourning never ceases on some level because life lived alongside friends, layers in shared moments, inside jokes, memories of connection points which constantly pop up in day to day life no matter what my address happens to read.  so, I want to send that text, picture, or reference when I see it to make that friend laugh or smile knowingly on the other end of the phone.  needing to stop short of pushing that arrow that indicates it will reconnect us...

hurts.  

I respect the boundary.  I intellectually acknowledge the distance to be in place.  

I will never like it.

                                  

this change holds opportunity and hope.  

I am thankful for a lifeboat that has been extended.  it is a wise decision to accept it.

right now, I am sat feeling tired.  

peaceful.

tired.

sad.

hopeful.

thankful.

"sometimes the best way to go is to just go on."      

                                                                -kimmy schmidt.                                               

cheers,
kb.