Written June 8, 2021
Jolly, Just Jolly
There is that moment your Uber driver is pulling up to a college bestie’s home in the suburbs outside of Chicago and he is so excited for you, he honks excessively when you see her. You leap from the vehicle screaming in a race to embrace each other and the squealing of joy, well it lasts double-digit minutes! It includes jumping, hugging, lifts and spins. Yeah, perhaps it had been too long.
My heart is bursting with love for this gem of a woman and her boy. Just an honor over the weekend to celebrate his birthday with friends! Time, including decades, pass way too quickly. Yes, we have stayed in contact fairly regularly over the years but how her and I sink into each other, the essence of our relationship occurs deep in dialogue. Whether it’s walking in nature, sunning on the sand, or sitting folded toward each other, leaning in around her grand wooden patio table while the cups of tea, coffee, wine and water lap again and again- feeling heard and seen is held as a priority for both but always accessorized with rumbles of laughter and fairly typically song and dance. She was a theater major so that means I am the entertainment in that realm. I’m pretty sure when she reads this, just thoughts of me trying to sing will cast a smile across her face with a waterfall of memories in my attempts for tune over the years.
I sit in appreciation for the opportunity to spend the weekend in her life. It was, well, just jolly.
The 5 communities in the world that have the highest concentration of people living active, full lives OVER 100 are identified as the Blue Zones. In 2004 National Geographic embarked on an expedition to better understand the secrets of longevity in these communities. The researchers found that the lifestyles of all Blue Zones residents shared 9 specific characteristics. Four of these 9 characteristics identify connection to others as paramount to living a long fulling life.
I invite you to reach out and connect to a person you hold dear. Text, call, dm, grab lunch, wine or a run.... connection to others we care deeply for is critical to wellbeing.
Transform not just your Tuesday but another’s as well.
happy transforming...
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