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I’m writing to you from the western edge of Northern California where the Pacific meets the rugged coastline and the cypress trees take the wind for us, the evidence in their twisted bark and branches. The summer days are still long but can you feel the sun making its retreat southward and a chill beginning to creep into the air? Each day is shorter than the last, school terms are beginning, Fall looms. Even though a new year doesn’t start until January, there’s something about August turning to September that always feels like a start, at least to me. Perhaps because I was in academia for so many years.
Our human journey feels so complex and raw these days. Just this past week we saw an earthquake hit Haiti and then a hurricane, desperate straits for civilians in Afghanistan, and no more ICU beds in Alabama. Cause for hope waxes (vaccines) and then wanes (Delta variant). Even though our society seems to be trying to throw in its own towel, at any given moment individual humans are strong and resilient and want to succeed. I get choked up in a good way every time I see a young child wearing a tiny mask and deftly piloting a small bicycle.
Yesterday I saw a breathtaking performance by the Mendocino Dance Project in which two dancers performed a piece high up in the air while tethered to redwood trees. It was another visual encouragement that that which seems impossible is possible. That humans are marvelous and intriguing. And that there is still so much to learn about, and so much beauty in the world.
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What we choose to dwell on has a lot to do with how well we are doing. Toward that end, I want to share with you this beautiful quote I saw the other day on a site I follow, called Upworthy:
“Sometimes I just want it to stop. Talk of COVID, looting, brutality. I lose my way. I become convinced that this “new normal” is real life. Then I meet an 87-year-old who talks of living through polio, diphtheria, Vietnam protests and yet is still enchanted with life. He seemed surprised when I said that 2020 must be especially challenging for him. “No,” he said slowly, looking me straight in the eyes. “I learned a long time ago to not see the world through the printed headlines, I see the world through the people that surround me. I see the world with the realization that we love big. Therefore, I just choose to write my own headlines: “Husband loves wife today.” “Family drops everything to come to Grandma’s bedside.” He patted my hand. “Old man makes new friend.” His words collide with my worries, freeing them from the tether I had been holding tight. They float away. I am left with a renewed spirit and a new way to write my own headlines.”
—Pastor Andy Stanley
North Point Community Church in Georgia
This doesn’t mean that we aren’t to care about Haiti, Afghanistan, Alabama, and all the rest of it. It just means that if we frame what is happening through the lens of the immediate small pieces of good all around us, we will be better able to stand up for the things that we care about and withstand the troubles that come. Another word for this mindset is ‘gratitude.’
I’m so grateful for your interest in my work. As Fall beckons, what’s up next for me is more writing and a smattering of free online events. On the writing side I’m currently working on a book proposal for what would be my fourth book: a memoir co-written with my 82-year-old mother Jeannie, in which we break down what it’s been like to have moved in with one another as grown women and to have co-existed on the same property these last twenty years. (We’ll tell the bad, the ugly, and ultimately how it got to be good!) With a lot of hard work and some luck we’ll get a book deal, and write the thing, and one day I’ll be telling you about it and asking you to buy it :) But that day is far, far away. Let me focus in on the now.
In terms of events, I’ve got a few things lined up that I want you to be the first to know about. I hope that at least one of these piques your interest (and perhaps all of them will)! Feel free to share with any and all.
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- “If you need me, call me.”
I’ve set up an old school throwback toll-free number 1-877-HI-JULIE where folks can leave a confidential voicemail about what’s on their mind, whether it be family, health, life, politics, kids, relationships, work, whatever. I know that dialing a phone and leaving a message feels very retro, but my intuition tells me that some folks will appreciate the chance to just talk knowing someone is out there listening. This is my way of trying to just be there. So, if you want to share what’s on your mind, call 1-877-HI-JULIE. And then, stay tuned for periodic videos where I will aggregate the topics shared, and do my best to offer compassion and support. (And yes, I will keep all callers’ names/details confidential.)
- How to Make a Cocktail/Mocktail Event
As Your Turn continues to make its way in the word and finds its intended readers, we are starting to offer some book-related free live events! The kickoff event is this Saturday August 28 at 2pm Pacific Time, and it’s centered on how to make a good cocktail/mocktail… Why? Because when you’re getting good at adulting, you want to have confidence that whether you’re hosting an event or going out with others you can proceed with confidence and maybe even sophistication. This event will be led by my dear friend and former student Luke Taylor, who is, among other things, a Mixologist. Luke and I will converse about why developing the confidence to serve or order something of quality and substance matters. And he’ll walk you through how to make three different beverages (both alcoholic and non—). It’ll be a Zoom meeting format where everyone is encouraged to have their cameras on so that we can practice together and support one another. Sign up here if you want to participate and we’ll send you a small list of items you’ll need on hand in order to participate. This event is free and you’ll get some great beverage recipes to go along with it, all in time for some Labor Day fun with vaccinated friends and family!
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- Emotional Support for School Leaders
With the school year getting underway I want to do my part to support school leaders through what is probably the most challenging circumstance most have endured in their professional lives: leading a school community in the COVID era. So I’ve asked my friends Randy Weiner and Jennifer Abrams, both authors of new books on supporting school leaders, to join me in conversation on September 15 at 5pm Pacific Time for “Stretch Your Edges: SEL Tools for School Leaders.” Their advice will be grounded in trustworthy theory but rich with practical advice. If you, or someone you know wants this kind of support, please join us for this free event by registering here. And please spread the word – it would be great to reach educators far and wide with this event.
- Go Deeper into Your Turn
Our second book-related event is an opportunity for you to meet some of the incredible storytellers who opened up to me and allowed me to share about their life journey in the pages of Your Turn. Get to know them better and ask them questions in this free Zoom webinar on October 4 at 5:30pm Pacific Time. Reserve your spot here.
I’m also planning to migrate my newsletter to a new platform called “Bulletin” in the coming weeks. It’ll be the same me, just a new mechanism for getting my thoughts over to you. I’ll let you know more about that when the time comes. As you can see, I’ve got a lot going on. Even the wildlife keeps me on my toes.
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From my back patio to wherever you are reading this, I'm wishing you and yours the very best as the year spins out of August into September. And remember, if you need to talk, I’m here to listen at 1-877-HI-JULIE.
xo
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