Sunday Journal Prompt

“What you see in an eclipse is entirely different from what you know.”

  – Annie Dillard, “Total Eclipse,” The Atlantic, 1982

Too often, we are united with mankind through grief over tragedies such as terrorist attacks. But tomorrow people across America will have the opportunity to connect over nature—the first coast-to-coast solar eclipse in nearly a century. 

When I attend major sporting events, concert festivals or fireworks displays, the crowd’s energy amplifies mine. Tomorrow we have the chance to tap into the energy of a nation of folks who will observe this awe-inspiring event. For some, eclipses have been life-altering occurrences.

NASA has posted this video about how to make an eclipse viewer from a cereal box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWMf5rYDgpc&feature=youtu.be. 

 How have you been awestruck by nature in the past? How can you make time to view the eclipse? 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Journal Prompt

“Take responsibility for the energy you bring into a space.”

– Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, neuroanatomist, stroke survivor and author of My Stroke of Insight

When Harvard scientist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor had a stroke that shut down her brain’s right hemisphere, she lost language, memories, a sense of the past and future, and her identity. She lived in the present and had an enormous awareness of the energy people brought into the room. When doctors talked to her mother instead of making eye contact and trying to connect with her, she felt devalued and didn’t want to show up for them—a lesson she now tries to instill in aspiring physicians.

The energy people carry with them can affect the moods and attitudes of others. When I’m around someone who inspires me, I feel my light brighten. Alternatively, if I come into a classroom feeling depleted, my students pick up on that and are not as engaged—which further drains me.
 
When this happens, I’m reminded to take care of myself not just for my own benefit but for the sake of others. If I’m stressed from overscheduling, tired due to staying up too late, wired from over-caffeinating or in pain from poor food choices (due to Crohn’s disease), that negative energy spirals from me to the people in my life and then back to me. Recharging myself through sleep, writing, yoga and meditation—and minimizing my time with energy drainers—helps me take responsibility for the energy I emanate as well as the energy that I absorb.

How can you take responsibility for the energy you emanate and receive?

 

Sunday Journal Prompt

“True friends are always together in spirit.”

 – L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables  

Today we dropped off our youngest child at a church camp he has attended for five years. Even though he sees his camp friends for just one week a year, they are very dear to him—people for whom he feels deep affection. Throughout the year, they text each other to touch base, share funny memories of past camp sessions or make plans for the next summer.

Last month while visiting my hometown, I had lunch with Susan, my mother’s best friend whom I inherited after my mom passed away. Even though I see her only one day a year, we have forged a beautiful friendship over the past twelve years and are wholeheartedly invested in each other’s lives. And I’ve only seen my oldest friend Seth three or four times since we were in eighth grade. Still, we have a special connection and offer each other support across miles and time. 

Have you felt a friendship transcend time and proximity? How might you (continue to) foster that connection?

 

 

Sunday Journal Prompt

“You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.”

 

 – Oprah Winfrey

I’m glowing with gratitude. Eight months ago, I sent a message to a company’s general email address to ask an immense favor. It was a long-shot request, and I honestly hadn’t expected a response. Yet, within an hour, I received an enthusiastic “yes” from one of its founders. Thanks to his generosity, this week my son met the developers of his favorite video game. Not only that, but we hung out with the creators and their generous team for an afternoon of laughter and inspiration. 

After signing non-disclosure agreements, my sons got to play in-progress levels of the game that won’t be released for months. They also enjoyed a behind-the-scenes glimpse of game creation: seeing the lines of code, viewing a big-picture grid of the levels, seeing sketches on whiteboards and reading placeholder dialogue. The team even gave each of the boys a bag of game-related goodies. Seeing my sons’ joy and the kindness of the lovely people who were so willing to open their doors to us, my heart is full.

 

 What do you want—for yourself or for others? How can you ask for it?

Sunday Journal Prompt

“Every person is defined by the communities she belongs to.”

 

– Orson Scott Card, Speaker for the Dead
  

Throughout my life, I’ve visited my father’s family’s homeland of Manteno in Kankakee County, Illinois for family reunions. By now most of the family farms have been sold, but the land we always return to is St. Joseph Cemetery. During a recent trip, I noticed that no one seemed to pray. And there were certainly no moments of silence, as the grave markers served as cues for animated stories. 

As my father and his cousins strolled from one marker to the next, they recounted tales of their departed siblings, aunts, uncles, parents and grandparents. They filled in each other’s memory gaps about “the time,” such as the time one uncle bought a farm at noon only to discover its crops and buildings wiped out by a tornado at 2 p.m. The family plot is a place where my father feels a great connection to many he has lost, as well as a sense of community with those who live to tell the tales.

 

In what unexpected place do you tap into a sense of community?

 

 

 

Sunday Journal Prompt

“A moment is not complete until you realize it is fleeting.”

 – Stuti Dhyani, A Grain of Sand

 

With one child in college and the other going into his senior year of high school, my husband and I are aware that our time with our children under our roof is fleeting. Last night the boys’ friends spent the night after a fun evening together, and we treasured having a house full of laughter and life.

This morning we made the teens breakfast: hot chocolate and Eggs a’la Patton (soft-boiled eggs, bacon and toast). Robert made toast shaped like a bear—as if the boys were still toddlers. It’s a gesture that makes them smile, a way to make the most of the remainder of their childhood.

What is fleeting in your life? How can you make the most of the time you have?

 

 

 

Sunday Journal Prompt

“Minimalism is the constant art of editing your life.”

- Danny Dover, The Minimalist Mindset

An accomplishment that will never show up on my resume is how my family has learned to pack lightly. We spent the month of June traveling abroad—all with carry-on luggage. We rolled our clothes into eBags and, once a week, used coin-operated laundromats. It started as a way to avoid bag-check fees and save time, but has developed our ability to operate as a team. One backpack held Luna bars and other snacks in one pocket, our clear plastic toiletry kits in another. One held our passports, novels that we exchanged with each other and a folder with printouts of our itinerary, boarding passes, train tickets and museum tickets. A third carried our electronic devices, chargers and adapters. The fourth, a smaller daypack, held our water bottle, sunscreen, hats, glasses, a protein shake mixer cup and my journal.
 
Minimizing our baggage helped us stay mobile, spend less time packing between cities and avoid stress our fellow travelers had. When we experienced delays, flight cancelations, gate changes and an unexpected overnight stay in Philadelphia during what became a 36-hour return trip, we had everything we needed. Our packing method is growing into a way of life for us. At home, we roll our clothes to fit into drawers and try to pare down our belongings. What do we really need? What can we donate? How can we better organize our home? What commitments do we value? What can we skip? How do we want to fill our time? What else in our lives can we streamline?

 

How can you streamline your life to carry less baggage?