Dads and the Summer Solstice
I'm the oldest of five daughters, so the humor of the proximity of Father's Day to the day of the nothern hemisphere's Summer Solstice is particularly poignant to me. I'm sure that many times that he (or my Mother) sat up waiting for me seemed like the longest days on record. But that's what fathers do. They worry. They lecture. They demand. They support. They love.
The Summer Solstice is considered the first day of the summer season, but is also the time when the first fruits and flowers of summer are ready for picking. The cycle of life and death has moved back to the fullness of fertility and production, the inevitable and yet ever welcome time of burgeoning life upon us again.
My pagan and wiccan friends have their own celebrations, and they are spending today in their various ways. In the meantime, I tend to view equinoxes and solstices as new beginnings, fresh starts, affirmations of the cycles of life and death.
More importantly, I am reminded of how we are all connected together, at the most fundamental levels, and how celebrations have the potential to bring us all together, especially with the ones we love.
In retrospect, my parents had far less to worry about me than they thought at the time, and I suppose that this is normal. I know that I worry for and about my children. It's hard to not dream of great things for those you love, and it's also difficult to stand aside and allow them to grow at their own pace in their own way.
During the summertime, when the children have a brief respite from school, we spend far more time together, talking, laughing and yes, arguing. Each of them spends time in camps each summer -- this will be my daughter's last year of that sort of freedom. She'll be a senior in high school this year, and university is on the horizon.
Today, I look at her, and see how much she, and I, have grown over the years. Today, I appreciate that she is on the brink of womanhood, and even as I celebrate this new beginning, I mourn the loss of childhood and the innocence inherent in that phase. Yesterday, on Father's Day, I wondered about my husband's reaction to this transition.
I think I understand his recent grumpiness a bit more.
Life moves forward, whether we wish it to or not. Change is constant, and while it brings stress to many, it can also bring great joy and great opportunity. Today, on the day of the Summer Solstice, I celebrate life at its fullest and in its richness. I celebrate the beauty and joy that is my children, and the potential they have to change the world.
I raise hopes for all of us as the days move forward, and for those who are grieving, I send solace and sympathy. For all the Fathers past, present and future, I wish love, understanding and patience. For all the children, I give love, strength and hope.
Happy Summer Solstice to those in the northern hemisphere. Happy Winter Solstice to those in the southern hemisphere. Happy Father's Day to those who celebrate it. And many wishes for continuing growth and health for everyone, everywhere.
Allow yourself to be patient and to be true to yourself. Remember to take at least five minutes every day to simply be by yourself and breathe. Allow yourself to indulge in a moment of thought, reflection, and planning when the mood strikes. It's your life, your choice. Allow yourself to simply succeed on your own terms, to live in peace, abundance, and joy. One day, one decision at a time, remaining aware of your choices and your feelings. You CAN get there.
And, as always, if you need help, I'm available. It's what I do, and it's what I love to do.
Sharon.
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