I just returned from a road trip with my family to Prince Edward Island. It was fabulous!
We made the 18-hour drive, straight through, just as we did when we were kids and would visit family there every summer. As we crossed the bridge and saw the red dirt, I knew we had landed and a familiar feeling of love and excitement filled me.
I have made many trips to the island. Each one different. This one there was an aliveness. I felt very present and had feelings of deep gratitude and connection. And I believe, that when we are present, all of our senses are heightened. The raw oysters tasted like the ocean. The rolling hills and farmland were breathtaking. The flowers were all so vibrant. My taste buds were very happy! I felt the love and laughter.
Having spent so many summers there in my younger years, I was aware of how my body felt reliving childhood memories, being with relatives, visiting familiar places.
The older I get the more meaningful these memories are. These are my roots. I love where my parents were born, where I feel very connected and am surrounded by so many relatives. It is a part of who I am. When I am there I feel connected. It feels good. I feel grounded and whole.
Everything we experience in our life lies within us. That is so fascinating to me. That it doesn’t matter how much time has passed – when we return to our roots we can re-experience the same feelings. Sometimes the feelings can be unpleasant or mixed. For me it was filled with joy.
One day, my sisters and I were walking down a street and came across a building we thought we knew, what used to be a variety store where we got our candy when we visited our nanny who lived a few houses down. Sure enough when we looked at the street name that was it!
It was so fun to explore and be curious.
When we choose to live life with our hearts and minds open to receive, it is amazing what can happen.
An example of this - my sisters and I visited the Buddhist nuns who have lived on PEI since 2012. What incredible women. Very passionate, progressive and kind. Their energy was so beautiful and vibrant. And the exciting news is…they have agreed to come to London in October to do a workshop! More details soon.
Life is simple:
Family matters. Love matters. Gratitude matters.
Through the ups and downs, it is a blessing to be with each other as we go through the impermanence of it all.
Last but not least, I want to give thanks to our cousins Margaret and Jamie. Two days before we were going to leave, our air bnb cancelled for no reason. What?! Our cousins opened their place to us. It was so beautiful, right by the water, and we received such amazing hospitality. Thank you.
This trip was a blessing, I returned home with a full heart and an incredible appreciation for all that I have in my life and I am so happy to share this with all of you. I hope your summer is filled with much of the same joy and happiness.
With love,
Diane