June News
June Newsletter
The Great Mother and the Great Father
Last month was Mother's Day. This month is Father's Day.
As someone who is parentless, I found myself spending a great deal of time reflecting on parenthood—from the deeply personal to the universal.
I had a wonderful Mother's Day. My daughter and I share a tradition that makes perfect sense to us. Every year on her birthday, she gives me a gift because I gave birth to her. Every year on Mother's Day, I give her a gift because she made me a mother.
Without her, I would never have known this version of myself.
As we walked through a meadow together, I found my thoughts drifting to the Great Mother—the Earth herself.
The one who carries us all.
The one who feeds us, shelters us, clothes us, and provides abundance beyond measure.
I began to wonder how often I truly stop and offer my gratitude to her with intention. Not a passing thought. Not a quick "thank you." But a deep acknowledgment of all that she gives.
The food on my plate.
The water in my glass.
The trees that clean the air I breathe.
The flowers that bring beauty to my day.
The soil that quietly supports it all.
It is astonishing when you really stop to consider how much we receive.
As I reflected on the Earth as Mother, I found myself returning to my own experience of parenting.
Being a parent is one of the greatest gifts I have ever known.
It is also one of the most challenging.
Children have a remarkable ability to illuminate our shadows. They reveal our fears, our wounds, our impatience, our insecurities, and our deepest capacity for love. They constantly invite us to become more conscious.
And then a question arose.
Do we do the same thing to the Earth?
The more she gives, the more we take.
Yet she continues to give.
We consume. We accumulate. We chase. We scroll. We become hypnotized by the little black boxes in our hands, guided by algorithms carefully designed to keep us looking down instead of looking up.
As the old song says:
"Stop, children, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going down."
Look up.
Go outside.
Feel the wind.
Watch the clouds.
Listen to the birds.
Touch the Earth.
Remember where you came from.
And now we arrive at Father's Day.
Whether you have a relationship with your father or not, perhaps there is another way to contemplate the sacred masculine.
Perhaps we can look to the Great Father—the Sky.
The vast space above us.
The container that holds possibility.
The expansive field that invites us to dream, explore, and become.
If the Earth teaches us how to receive, perhaps the Sky teaches us how to expand.
The Mother nurtures.
The Father inspires.
The Mother grounds.
The Father calls us forward.
Both are necessary.
Both are sacred.
And perhaps that is the invitation this month.
To pause long enough to recognize all that is supporting us.
To honor the Great Mother beneath our feet.
To honor the Great Father above our heads.
To appreciate what has been given.
To become better stewards of the gifts we receive.
And to remember that we are not separate from either one.
We are children of both Earth and Sky.
Maybe the greatest act of gratitude is not simply saying "thank you."
Maybe it is living in a way that honors the gift.
Reflection
Take a few moments this week to sit outside.
Place one hand on the Earth and one hand toward the sky.
Close your eyes.
Ask yourself:
What am I receiving that I have forgotten to appreciate?
Then sit quietly and listen.
The answer may surprise you.
*Kyah's Journey & Wisdom*
Hello, today I will be telling you about a recent experience that I had at school. A few days ago, I had a problem with the friends that I was starting to make. A girl that I was getting to know was fighting with someone, when me and another girl tried to see what they were fighting about someone got in our way and said, "You need to earn your trust." Even though the girl I was with had known them for years and never told a secret. When she tried to ask again, the girl said, "I will slap you!" Now I was in this because I was with her and starting to be friends with her. So, I was just trying to listen and not say anything about what was happening. I was trying to fit in by not saying anything so I would have someone to sit with at lunch, someone to play volleyball on break with. But then I told my mom what was happening and she gave me some really great advice. She told me to be myself, speak up, and the right people will come to you. She also told me to think about my worth, and if friends like that are really good for me. She said, "I know you will make the right decision for you."
The next day I was not avoiding but not engaging and it felt really good to be myself again. Now I have expanded my search of friends, and I think I have found my group, because I was myself. So, if you try to be like someone else to "fit in" don't because the right people will come if you are honest and be yourself. Sometimes being superhuman is just navigating yourself. Thank you, and heers to being superhuman!
melody@invokeandra.com 541-291-1240
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