June 8th has been significant as a day of major transitions in my family. A baby’s transition from womb into world. A mother’s transition to spirit. A mother-to-be transitioning to bed rest following an accident. A healthy, vibrant person’s transition to their (almost) death bed. And today, the transition from silence to vocalization.
Those last 3 are me.
No one begins at the place we meet them. Everyone has a story that has come before us, before this moment. Even that newborn baby. My story began in September 42 years ago, but on this date, June 8th, significant life moments have occurred that would change my life forever.
June 8th 2005, my Mom took her final breath at the age of 49. A 10-month long colon cancer battle claiming her life, leaving behind a husband of 33 years & 3 daughters, who all struggled to function without her. A girl always needs her mother.
June 8th 2023, I lay in my bed – unable to breathe, unable to rise from bed, unable to drink. It began 2 days earlier with severe body aches & a fever of 102.7. But on this day, the coughing set in. Sitting up or even just rolling over in bed resulted in a severely painful coughing fit like nothing I’d ever experienced. I braced a yoga bolster tightly against my chest in order to reposition myself. I never had a sore throat, but this is the day strep pneumonia claimed my voice. I would be on vocal rest through December. Emergency surgery 2 days later saved my life.
May 2024 – At school pickup, seeing children laden down with heavy backpacks filing one-by-one into waiting cars, I’m struck by the thought, “There’s got to be more to life than this”. The school, work, eat, sleep, cook, clean, rinse, repeat cycle that we’ve all accepted as life. We’ve all had this moment, haven’t we? It’s heartbreaking when it settles upon you, especially when you feel helpless to do anything about it. A year ago, I lay in the hospital fighting for my life. And here I am back in the same old routine. There’s got to be another way. What is it? Because this just isn’t cutting it anymore…
I have dreams. We all do. Why do we stuff our dreams away for “one day, some day”? And sometimes, we never get to “some day” anyway. We grow older as the years pass & think we are too old to start something new. Self doubt creeps in.
Not good enough, yet.
Not the expert, yet.
Not perfect, yet.
But perfection is found in imperfection. Look at nature. How often does it’s sublime beauty take our breath away?
And expertise comes through doing. Practice is how we get better, how we grow & develop our skills.
I’ve often struggled with being aware that I don’t know all there is to know & was afraid to move out into the world because of it. I kept myself frozen in place.
Knowing there is still an endless wealth of knowledge to be found can feel simultaneously awe-inspiring & also, like a curse. I once read a quote that there are far less-qualified people rushing out into the world. That really stuck with me.
We can be both the teacher & the student simultaneously. Life has so much to offer us & the knowledge yet to be found is endless. What a beautiful gift we have yet to unwrap!
If your favorite musician never took the stage, what soundtrack would your life be missing?
If your favorite author never wrote that book, what would your life be lacking?
How different our lives would be without the effect of someone we potentially may never meet. Someone who has impacted our world & the worlds of others in such a profound way. If they didn’t run towards their dream, the world would be darker without their unique contribution. Had they waited until they reached perfection, that day may have never come.
And that’s just a public figure.
Your life purpose affects the world in the same way.
What if that teacher who opened your mind to the wonder of science, didn’t become a teacher? What if that animal rescue never had a founder & never opened its doors? What if your therapist didn’t pursue her degree? What if you never said hi to the friendly & familiar face on your favorite walking trail that morning? What if your favorite yoga teacher never taught? What if the healer never opened her doors to clients?
Your world would undoubtedly be less for it. Sure you’d find other songs, other classes, other teachers, but in that reality, the world would never know the burst of color that it was lacking. And you may have never latched onto the path their contribution took you down.
We all impact so many lives in so many (often unknown) ways. If you continue holding back your passion, your dream, your light from the world for fear of not being ready, not being perfect, not being good enough, you limit the world from opening doors for you & for others.
What will the lives of those you would impact be missing?
What will you be missing?
I’d miss writing. I’d miss energy healing. I’d miss pursing more knowledge. I’d miss lighting the path for others on similar journeys to healing. I’d miss encouraging others. So here I am hoping to do just that.
I’ve always needed to see the full staircase laid out before me, before I’d begin the journey. But so often, we have no way of knowing where the steps we take will lead. We only know that without taking the first step, we will remain in exactly the place & circumstances that we now reside.
Safe & secure, no risk, no change.
Change can feel scary. But remaining the same when you are ready to fly can feel suffocating.
We don’t know where the path will lead, but does that one step take you closer to personal fulfillment?
If it makes your heart sing, take that step.
It may open up doors to flourishing satisfaction, new friendships, new collaborations, new income flow, or expansion beyond your wildest dreams.
What if it does nothing more than make you happy? That’s why you have been given your passions, to find happiness. Happiness, joy, & love are the whole point of this earthly existence.
So be happy.
Do the thing that lights up your soul. It’s a win-win.
One day, some day. On this June 8th, my some day has arrived.
Let your some day come soon. We all have a dream to pursue or a passion to follow. Let your passion become part of your path. Even if you don’t know where it leads. Even if you only do it for the enjoyment of creating. May your creations & contributions change the world, if only for one person, if only for yourself. Each soul matters.
It’s like the Starfish Story – it made a difference for that one.
Let today be the day. Let today be YOUR day.
Take that first baby step without insisting where it must lead. Just move in the direction of your dreams & watch your happiness blossom.
And that person who changed your life in ways big or small, let them know. You may change a life too – theirs. Perhaps, they never knew how much they mattered to you or how much they made a difference. Their smile will light up your life.
What dream have you been waiting on for “some day”? What baby step can you take today? Tell me in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.
Love & light,
In loving memory of my Mom on this 19th anniversary of her transition to spirit.
And in loving memory of my Dad, the single greatest supporter of my writing. He knew the passion I buried long ago. Dad, I hope to make you proud.
Unfurled Wings 
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