Yesterday was the first Monday after the end of the academic year. I made time to go out for a bike ride in the morning – the first time in 2023 that my calendar and the weather worked together so that I could go out not long after breakfast. The morning was beautiful and the roads and trails I rode were quiet. There was plenty of bird song, some sunshine, beautiful green mountains, and I even encountered a turtle and a mama duck with fuzzy ducklings along the stream. The hills made for just the right amount of hard work, and yet it was restful. It was just the right way for me to mark the transition as the rhythms and demands of the school year change to the different rhythms and demands of the summer.
Some years, I have to rush without pause into the deadlines and responsibilities that May and June bring, but yesterday while I biked, I managed to spend time reflecting on the joys and struggles of the year just ended, considering the upcoming demands, and making some plans and goals for my work and myself. I invite you to do something similar.
As you think back on the past school year, what are you glad or proud about? Where were there struggles? What do you regret? Who was a help or a resource to you? How have you grown? What have you discovered about yourself? Looking ahead to the summer months and beyond, what are you looking forward to? What are you apprehensive about? What are your hopes for yourself? What are your goals? What do you intend to make time for? Who do you want to connect with? How will you tend yourself; physically, emotionally, and spiritually?
Take a little time in this transition. Reflect on what has passed and look toward what is yet to come. Remember that you are beloved by God, and you are never alone. Consider what you know lies in your future. Look for ways you will find to live the love, compassion, forgiveness, and inclusion Jesus calls us to.
Blessings to you in these moments of transition. May you find joy and hope in both the past and the future!
Peace,
Alicia