Celebrating the Present

Today marks the mid way point in 2024; the shortest day of the year in the Southern hemisphere, the longest in the Northern. 

In Aotearoa it triggers a time of deep reflection by coming together, honouring those who have passed, celebrating today, and looking to the future as Māori celebrate Matariki - the rise of Pleiades in the morning sky - from next week. 

It's often referred to as Māori New Year, and shares similarities to other times of reflection and changes of season such as western New Year, the pagan /Celtic time of Imbolc or South Korean Lunar New Year.

For me, deep reflection is a given, and, as an empath and anxious person, looking to the future can sometimes mean I hyperfocus on the what ifs and others’ needs. So, this week finding myself celebrating the present in the present moment, and taking each day as it comes, feels like a big deal.

Here's what I'm celebrating this week and how I celebrated the moment:

1. I have 2 incredible 1:1 coaching clients right now, who are committed to themselves and learning to trust their instincts and so themselves - being alongside them on their journey is something to celebrate. Not because I'm the one doing the work, but because I LOVE seeing women embrace who they are 💪

2. My very almost 2 year is sleeping in a big bed on his own (most nights) 😱 which any caregiver will know, is a big deal. Bedtime is still a challenge, but not having to be worried he's going to parkour his way out of his cot is definitely something to shout about. 

3. I am finally getting physio for my ‘runner's knee’ and (seemingly 😬) torn MCL. This might seem like a no-brainer to most people, but my physical self is the one I take for granted the most, and I'm proud that I'm allowing myself to be cared for by an awesome practice.

4. When my boy woke up at 5.15am this morning and tapped me on the leg because he wanted to get into bed with me, I took the 45 minutes until 6am to cuddle him and keep him close, knowing that we're warm and safe in Aotearoa, not looking for somewhere to stay dry or sheltering from bombs 🫂

5. Finally, that I have incredible women in my life that always respond to my early morning emergency texts (not really emergencies) like ‘HELP! What do I wear to a physio appointment?!’ without mockery and actual advice that helps! 👭

If I sit here for longer I'll want to think about further back than this week, and as challenge to myself, I won’t.

Your turn: what do you have to celebrate the present for?