Will Ian ever shut up about the sun?
No. I wont. I’m basically a plant with anxiety. I love the sun.
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There is something incredibly rewarding about being up hours before you have any obligations. When the morning is your own and the steam of coffee curls through the last remnants of the cool desert night. As I write this the sun begins to crest the horizon and warm the day and my shadow on the wall starts to sharpen in her light. Everything is soft in the morning, thoughts, noises, the blankets you’ve left behind. It is a gift to be cherished, a fleeting but important part of one’s day. Before kissing loved ones goodbye on the way out the door, before packing bags or perhaps joining a slow stream of traffic out of your neighborhood, we have the stillness. This is the time unclaimed as the rest of our hours are.
I woke up one of the hospital kids the other day from his morning nap for lunch. From his sleepy eyes adjusting to the day as he unfurled from one of those unexplainable shapes children are able to slumber in; to him nuzzling his head into my shoulder as we made our way to the lunchcart I was reminded of how innocent the world is. Children do not carry the hardness we do, they have not learned the weights that bear down on our joy. In the morning we are all children still, blinking sleepily into reality before we think of our meetings and chores or sadness and weight. Hold onto this time if you can, let yourself sit in the morning light and steal a moment for your inner child. Do not focus on meditation, prayer, routine, whatever you use to anchor your morning, let it go for a moment. Simply be, let your heart wander where it will, let your thoughts stroll. This isn’t something I do every day or even pay much thought to. However when it does click, when the world looks new and birds dance and sing to greet the day, take a deep breath and let yourself be content.
Love
Fitz
Sitrep- I’m doing well here. I’ve settled in and my responsibilities at the national level have begun to ramp up which means more times in meetings sadly but more work happily. The country is bracing and prepping for potential mpox cases while managing all of our other health concerns which means some of my work with the street-connected children is slowing but we are still playing soccer this Thursday which makes my heart lighter. I’m fortunate to have some wonderful friends and mentors who have started helping me plan my re-entry which looks like a good amount of FEMA/ Emergency Management coursework in my free time but if anyone knows of a small coastal community or NGO that needs an EM, holla. As always I love hearing from all of y’all so please call, text, or send the world's strongest pigeon my way and I hope you all are well, fulfilled, and falling in love with your own reality.
