Cycles of Gratitude & Letting Go
The end of summer is here. What do you hope to release?
Dear Friend,
This week, I had a chance to visit with a friend who was in New York City to share poetry readings from her new book, God In Her Ruffled Dress. I couldn’t make any of the readings but we figured out an afternoon that we were both free to be together.
She was staying at a fancy hotel in the city with a rooftop pool and we planned on eating lunch and swimming. I will take any chance to be in the water that I can get and honestly, I’ve never been to a hotel with a rooftop pool before. The plan sounded great!
But the day I went to see her, the weather had turned suddenly cooler. I gave my friend a big hug when I saw her, swimsuit squished in my travel purse, and we looked at the pool, knowing it was not a day for swimming. We let go of it, found a table to gaze at the sky and the city and to talk and talk.
That was a small moment of letting go and shifting. So often I find myself in that place: planning for things to be a certain way…then realizing that I–none of us–have that kind of control. When I can release expectations, holding on tight to certain outcomes, I make room for different possibilities.
The end of August is here…Labor Day Weekend approaches. Whether we are connected to an academic calendar or not, we feel the change of season, that sense of ‘back to school time.’
For today’s creative prompt, I have a guided meditation that will take you to meet Summer and offer gratitude for whatever has arrived in your life, perhaps unexpectedly, this season. And a moment to release what you had hoped for, but didn’t go exactly as you planned.
If you have a friend who might want to share in this meditation & prompt, invite them to play with us!
Writing Practice: Set aside 5-7 minutes for this practice. Write in a journal or open a ‘Journey with The Season’ document where you can return each Sunday.
Prompt: You’ll find the guided meditation at the arrow above. Take a listen. What images and visions came up for you during this meditation? Write about how it felt to meet summer. Write about the gratitude that you expressed. Write about the hopes you had held that didn’t come to be and how it felt to release them. Write about the place where you met summer and how it felt to say goodbye.
If you struggled with the meditation, no worries. Write about a time or place when/where your summer spirit feels alive. Write out the things you had hoped to happen this summer but didn't–and what you are ready to release today. Write out all you are grateful for that came during this summer.
I would love to read your expressions. Feel free to comment below or use the messaging app to reach me.
Deepening Practice: Through the coming week, keep a journal of summer gratitude memories and moments. If you’re into creating alters, set one up with summer memories photos, special objects you bought or items from nature you collected like seashells or rocks. Add your words of gratitude and spend time offering appreciation for experiences from this season.
Wishing you a week of gentle breezes, creative energy & much love! Gabrielle Ariella
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