i found summer.

tuesday was warm, blindingly sunny, and i worked hard to soak up every minute. ironically the photo a day challenge was “the best part of your day”. well, i hard a hard time deciding what was best, so i thought i’d do a post on all of the best moments. it was a pretty  fantastic day.

it started off quite emotionally… but i had some good support and someone to talk to to help me process all of my thoughts & feelings. once i let myself think & feel a little, i headed off to work to begin planning for the camp best week. the other minister and i had an amazing flow. we work so well together! now, if only my job could be full-time instead of part-time. hehe.

while i was at the church, i met up with the iranian woman i was going to tutor in english. we sat, drank coffee, and talked about  world religions, peace, and feeling that the world is a place where all people are connected but we are too afraid to meet our neighbors, we are too afraid to meet people who are different than us. our conversation proved exactly what i was writing about yesterday… that we are not all that different after all. we talked about being muslim and christian, and even atheists. it was an amazing hour, to sit and share our personal stories & perspectives, and to still understand that we are the same.

then it was back to working on the plans for the camp over a working lunch. still flowing with the ideas and inspiration. loved it. and finally, a working lunch downtown. awesome morning.

in the afternoon, i decided to visit the teens/adults from my previous internship. they’re working in one of the city’s parks during the whole summer, providing activities for children & youth. it was really great to see them all, and it was so beautiful outside that i sat my little self down in the sunshine, chatted & caught up with some of these amazing teens who are spending their summer working to make summer fun for other youth, ate some ice cream, and just enjoyed being. summer!!

i walked home later on, taking the long way, down an avenue lined with gorgeous, thick green trees. i walked really slowly and paid attention to everything i saw. the air was warm, even though i was in the shade under the trees’ branches… and my soul was full.

in the evening, a friend came over. we chatted some, looked at a few pictures, and watch “across the universe” (you know i love it!) until it was really late. exhausted, i fell down on the bed and slept, quite satisfied and calm in my soul after soaking up so much vitamin d all day. when i think back over the day, i realize how many people i came in contact with… all kinds of people. and it was unbelievably amazing. i closed my eyes, feeling the love of my wife close by and feeling inspired by the opportunity to talk with so many different people about so many different things…

and, to top it all off, it was an actual, real summer day.

peace & sunshine.