Fine weather and beauty emergencies
Fine weather and beauty emergencies
A cure for any disappointment
Hello friend,
Disappointments. Everyone has them.
The rain comes pouring down on our parade or picnic, or day at the beach. We miss the total lunar eclipse because of clouds. The daisies don’t sprout from all the seeds scattered in the spring. You are the last chosen for the team. I could go on.
I faced a small disappointment this week. What made this different was that I didn’t expect to feel disappointed. I have spent a lifetime learning not to allow myself to feel those moments when things don’t go as planned. I brush them off, but not this time.
Over 2,000 aspiring picture book writers and illustrators applied to work with 32 mentors. I knew the odds, but I applied anyway. Why not? When I didn’t see my name on the list of chosen mentees, I felt the sting.
I’m not one to wallow in despair. I had an Aha! Moment.
Every worthwhile goal, ambition, or dream requires perseverance, learning, and the will to keep going. If this is important, I cannot avoid rejection and disappointment.
I pulled out my manuscripts, picked up my pen, determined to press on. But, there’s more.
What else did I do? I took time for what poet/author Maggie Smith calls a beauty emergency: one of those things you have to look at now, before it’s gone.
A doe and her newborn fawn visited, and I had to stop to marvel at the napping fawn.
Inch worms found their way into the house on the lettuce leaves my husband harvested.
I looked up at the blue sky. We are now in one of the 24 Japanese seasons, fine weather. The Japanese word shoman describes this season as “the weather becomes fine and everything begins to go well.”
Yes, yes indeed. Summer is upon us with blue skies, fat juicy blackberries, red tomatoes, marigolds, zinnias, and gorgeous blue skies.
Disappointment? Who has time to dwell on those when a beauty emergency might be waiting around the corner, and fine weather brightens the day?
It’s blackberry season, and our garden is overflowing so now is the time for blackberry cobbler—ripe berries, sugar, and a little love.
Li Kim humorously elaborates on managing disappointment.
Music for fine weather: Blue Skies, Mr. Blue Sky, Simple Gifts
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched—they must be felt with the heart.
—Helen Keller
If you want to read more from me, visit my website. I’ll be there waiting for you.
With gratitude,
Kathryn
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Beautiful! I love how you turn disappointment into a lesson.
Beautiful. The sting of disappointment can also turn into “how can I do the thing anyway?” Can you do some peer mentoring with fellow writers? Or approach someone whose writing you admire and ask if they’d mentor you? I like flipping things. I often think about who it is that chooses who gets in and who doesn’t. That someone has to miss out and the decision making processes involved.
I love your beautiful photos. Snippets of your life and thoughts ❤️