“Enlightenment must come little by little – otherwise it would overwhelm.” ― Idries Shah

This week I’ve been reflecting quite a bit on pacing myself throughout this pandemic experience. Some if it is influenced by my recent re-read of Your ‘Surge Capacity’ Is Depleted — It’s Why You Feel Awful: Here’s how to pull yourself out of despair and live your life. My thinking also is informed by the break I was privileged to take last week- two days off felt like a lifetime!

I’m focusing more and more on gratitude, and that for which I acknowledge my appreciation for what God provides me. In the past two weeks I’ve seen coyotes in my neighborhood, a whale rising up out of the ocean, deer in the woods, and on our daily family walk yesterday my kids were so excited about seeing a cricket. The picture above represents one of my favorite views of San Francisco, taken from our neighborhood park yesterday. I love where I live and feel blessed to spend this special time with my children.

Otherwise, like most others, I continue to be saddened by toxic discourse in our world. I am exhausted, and most weeks I feel like a ping pong ball bouncing back and forth among Zooms and phone calls and uploading homework to Google classroom while reinforcing 3rd grade math or 4th grade science or the middle school reading of Macbeth. One day at a time, counting my blessings along the way!