"Soar, eat ether, see what has never been seen; depart, be lost, But climb"

This excerpt from a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay holds multiple layers of meaning for me. The first is that it captures how I want to live life and some of the feelings that life evokes.

"Soar, eat ether" - When I ski or sail, I do feel that I soar. Freedom and exhileration powered by nature. This is a big feeling of joy for me and just saying the words helps me feel that sense of lightness.

"See what has never been seen; depart" - I am not a pioneer in the conventional sense. I am not journeying to undiscovered new lands in a covered wagon, but what I am doing is discovering my life, seeing things in a new way each day. Some days, the revelation is small like yesterday when my dog escaped the yard and some children brought him home. They called him "Puff"and their reluctance to leave because they were having fun wth him, made me appreciate his exuberance in a new way. Other days, the insight is larger and takes time to unfold. And then "depart" - I believe in not clinging to one place, one plateau , one insight but departing for the next.

"Be lost" - This phrase comforts me when I am feeling overwhelmed. It's different than being stuck, I am still moving, but I can just "be lost". That's okay and these two small words have provided tremendous solace and guidance over the past few years

"But, Climb" - this phrase makes my heart beat faster and makes me want to get up and go. You can't soar standing with your feet on the ground (much as I appreciate the sensation of being fully grounded). By being up, I can soar again. And so, climbing takes me full circle back to joy.

The words also capture the essence of the four seasons. Soaring and eating ether evoke summer to me. There is a carefree abundance and freedom inherent in these words that characterizes summer. Being lost is winter. There's not much warmth or sustenance but with time, something new will emerge. Seeing new things is spring and emergence. Fall is departing. The abundance of summer is finished and the seeds for the next cycle are sown.

So, here I am at the end of summer. It has been a good summer. I've travelled, I've climbed, I've body-surfed, I've kayaked, I've lazed in the sun, I've spent time with friends and made new friends. Time to leave this place and move on to Fall. No matter what the season, Climb. "Sic itur ad astra"- Virgil. Thus do we reach for the stars.

Namaste.