Today is a bittersweet day. It has come once a year in our household — sometime in early August — for the last eight years.

Today marks the day my wife Carly sets off on another school year of teaching. And, while we are both ready to regain our routines and some semblance of a stable sleep schedule, it's still tough go back to the daily "grind" of another school year. Not to mention, she is smack in the middle of working on her Master's degree (which is alone a miraculous feat to watch her accomplishing).

Today Carly said, "I feel like I'm grieving the end of summer."

So, in this week's issue, I want to recognize and honor that grief. I also want to mark the beginning of a familiar journey — like a new ascent to the top of yet another mountain we will eventually climb back down from again.

`We met on a day-old mountain;`
`The one that appears on snowdays out in front of the Country Mart on Merchant Street.`
`We are like`
`Two tectonic plates — colliding, overlapping, intertwining —`
`Ever forming`
`New mountains in our wake.`

`We make mountains in our home:`
••• `Laundry`
••• `Dishes`
••• `Mail`
`We make mountains out of molehills`
`And slowly, we conquer all of them,`
`One labored step`
`After another.`

`I would make myself a mountain for you,`
`And you for me;`
`Bending over backwards and inside out, we would both`
`Contort ourselves into`
`Anything`
`As long as it meant rising together.`

#049 / 03.01.23

I've been working on this piece off and on for a few months now. I doubt it's finished yet, but it feels strong.

This captures my feelings of living together 24/7 with someone, recognizing the full dynamic range of two personalities working hard to coexist among the daily challenges and victories of life.

Today, we reached the base of another mountain. Then, standing hand in hand, we looked up, and we started walking.

Before I let you go, a quick reflection: What is a metaphorical mountain in your life that you are currently conquering or will soon climb? Pause and answer this for yourself. If you feel like sharing you can reply to this email. (I'll give you my answer if you ask!)

Thank you for joining me.

See you next Tuesday,

Benny

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