August is here. Tomatoes are in season. The garden is overflowing, and my restlessness is at an all-time high. You see, my birthday is this week, and this is my reflection month. It’s my New Year’s Day. I ruminate over all I’ve accomplished, the pending tasks, and on a broader, more stressful thought—what exactly am I doing? Am I doing this for me? Does anyone care? I know, calm down, mama. It isn’t that serious. But, as we know, we are our harshest critics, and there is no way around it other than through, as they say. I write this to pinpoint, or rather identify, a prior feeling because I want to reflect on this day differently: grateful, impressed, and wildly intentional about the rest of the months left and the foundation I have put into place. The intimacy of being seen is often what we are after, not really the outcome.

I have recently been working on a scholarship application for a music business program. I don’t know if this is because my birthday is approaching and this is my way of “gifting” myself a 360-degree trajectory move that will ignite something—a fire in me. But, music is very much ingrained in me as a person, so managing a venue, promoting vinyl production, or learning about licensing (current interests) seems a bit daunting. Still, I took the first step, so more to come there.

On the travel side, I took a trip out to Northern Maine for a few days last month, which is where a lot of my pictures are from. The lobster was unreal on the East Coast. I walked over a babbling brook, read a lot, listened to vinyl, ate a homemade blueberry scone, and reveled in the slow life. However, I missed the city, so that was something that made me happy too—knowing that even while I can unplug for a bit, my heart is always here.

So, as I make pico de gallo with all these tomatoes and eat it by the spoonful, standing in my kitchen, I want to remember to be present, appreciate the garden for as long (or as short) as the season, and not for one second believe that my contribution isn’t seen and appreciated. I saw this, and I think it ties into what we all really want to feel. Take care, bebes!

An excerpt from Elaine Konicki wrote this:

We talked about the need to be seen and heard which is so evident in childhood, but is often unacknowledged in adults.

Related to that theme is the topic of vulnerability. Much as we desire it, “being seen for who we truly are” can be emotionally intense and can reveal our fragility.

It takes courage to make ourselves vulnerable to others.

So often our excuse for not opening up is that we don’t want to bother people with our troubles, or bring them down. And, certainly there is a place and time for personal revelations.

But our willingness to take a risk is also a gift we can give to others, because it becomes a silent invitation for them to do the same, which establishes a mutual give and take.

Intimacy begets intimacy.

Note: You can read the entire piece here https://www.theauthenticlane.com/blog/the-joy-of-being-seen-part-ii

Music Cue: Feel It All Again by Winyah