Field Note #38: Planting Seeds
In case you're wondering where I've been 😀
Date: March 11, 2024
Location: Montana, sitting in my messy office.
Weather: 40°F, Drizzling Rain
Time: 8:48 PM
Objective: Let you know that I’m still here.
Observations:
Cream 40oz Stanley Tumbler (Beverageus Cardinalis Quencherus Maximus)
I bought into the hype and I haven’t looked back - not even once (thank you to my dear friend, Stella, for telling me to just do it).
I’ve never been more hydrated and the emotional support it provides is 10/10.
Small Pyrex Storage Container with a Tiny Spoon and the Remnants of Dairy-Free Ice Cream (Lil' FreezeVault Spoonerium Deliciosa)
I’m leaning into Maya Angelou’s words, “Moderation in moderation.”
I had a tiny scoop of vanilla dairy-free ice cream with olive oil drizzled and salt sprinkled on top for the second night in a row (if you’ve never tried this, do it - dairy-free or not - and thank me later).
Setlist from the Seattle Macklemore Concert (RhymeChronicle Harmony Scroll of Emerald City Vibes)
It hangs from the spine of a book on the top of a stack of books that sit on the floor of my office next to two other stacks of books. “Get a Bookshelf” is on my to-do list.
I still haven’t told you about that night, but I am this close to fulfilling my dream of meeting Macklemore because somehow my cousin, my mom, my sisters, and I ended up in the “IYKYK-super-secret-VIP-afterparty” where we met, hugged, and shared tears with Mary freaking Lambert.
I am still processing.
Partially Unpacked Suitcases (Semi-Contained Travel Ensemble Chaosium)
Two weeks ago from Sunday, I came home to my own bed after spending the previous three weeks waking up in China for the first time in five years; since before the pandemic; as a wife and a 王.
In between the last three Tuesdays in January, I was working double time, preparing to leave the country without a laptop.
I’m about to share all of my observations, interpretations, and reflections from everything I experienced between the first three Tuesdays in February. The words have been coming slow and steady, but they’ve made clear they can’t be rushed. I am listening.
Marquee Sign Outside the Nursery Down the Road (SproutScript Euphoria Billboardium)
This sign and I have been in conversation since last spring. “It’s almost time 🤭,” it read when I wasn’t sure if I could withstand another moment of winter.
This spring it’s telling me, “You know what to do! Plant some seeds! 😀” - right when I was thinking about you and feeling guilty about disappearing in the field…
Reflection:
In between the past two Tuesdays, I’ve been fighting jet lag, getting back into my routine slowly and mindfully, practicing holding and setting boundaries successfully, training for my first half-marathon, learning and realizing what it means to be a good friend and how sometimes it requires you to do really hard things, being a good friend, nurturing friendships new and old, falling in love with my husband all over again with each sunrise, spending time on the couch of a new therapist and bravely doing some of the most meaningful work I’ve ever done, and walking my dog.
I’ve been planting seeds.
But, I wanted to let you know that I’m still here.
P.S. In case no one’s told you lately, you’re doing a great job. You are strong. You are brave. You are worthy. You are oh-so-loved. Keep going. You’ve got this.
And don’t forget to be kind to six-year-old you. ♥️
Awesome Meg! I love reading these!