I work at a treasured little store in the sweet river town where I live. People from all over the world, from all walks of life enter this unique space and get to experience something truly special, from the incredible hand crafted products to the lovely river views. I like to greet each person with “Welcome In” and share the beauty surrounding us. This stayed consistent for me each week throughout the upheaval we all experienced together during this historic time. It has been an honor and a privilege and I have learned so much about our shared humanity and connectedness. My clear river view with the dramatic season changes of the Upper Midwest, joined with the hustle and bustle of an ever-changing historic downtown on a National Scenic Riverway, is always a gift and pleasure. It is a place I am proud to call home and love with all my heart. My window stayed the same as the world started turning upside down in every imaginable way, but my lens is forever changed. Our individual lives began to mirror the world around us and we turned inside out and adapted in our own ways. There were times when we felt like we couldn’t handle one more thing coming at us. We dug deeper, asked real questions and tapped into our innate resourcefulness and wisdom (with a little extra help from friends, neighbors, strangers, curbside and deliveries!). Everything seemed complicated, yet simple at the same time. We took stock of our necessities and brushed off our toolboxes and medicine bags. We did our best to adapt to the constant barrage of changes, letting go and holding on. We showed up as our most honest and vulnerable selves. We got brave together. We still lived our lives. We learned. We taught. We bathed. We had babies. We got married. We grieved. We worked. We studied. We watched. We read. We tended to wounds. We tended to gardens. We ate. We took care of children. We took care of animals. We took care of each other. We took care of ourselves. We took to the streets. We told stories. We even danced sometimes. We looked each other in the eyes. We figured it out. We celebrated special days. We had hard conversations. We embraced simple pleasures. We were scared. We listened. We spoke. We laughed. We cried. We cleaned. We organized. We shared. We got outside. We supported. We interned. We created. We traveled. We listened to music. We felt. We looked in the mirror. We paid attention.

Halfway through 2021, I am reflecting on what it really means to “Welcome In” and why I have chosen to adopt it as a simple life motto this year and beyond. It means I invite and welcome in the gift of the present moment, however it shows up and whatever it brings (even when it’s not wrapped in a pretty package with a bow on top). To me, it means to truly look at and receive ALL that is right here, right now- even when it’s hard and we don’t want to face it, feel it, experience it. It’s not about pretending, being “nice” or pushing it away. It’s about acknowledging that we don’t always know the answer. Noticing how we ARE at this exact moment, authentically, without judging it. It’s accepting the dark storms that swirl around us and choosing to look for the beauty and light at the same time. It means responding with grace and understanding, for ourselves and others. It’s taking the time and making the space to sit still and pay attention to NOW, with all of its distractions and oblivions. It means getting out of our heads and into our bodies more. It means letting go of our attachments to past experiences and future outcomes. We decide how to be here now.

It requires practice, practice, practice and we’ve had plenty! And lots of patience. Welcoming in and trusting the natural rhythms and flows of our life. When we are overwhelmed and feel the need to fix, deny, fear- we stop and listen. We find the balance within ourselves to address the pain and uncertainty. And we ask for help and guidance when needed. We do our best to keep our hearts open, take responsibility for our actions and are gentle with ourselves as we walk along the way. We choose compassion, kindness, love, generosity and trust. It’s easy to say and hard to do sometimes. It takes courage, dedication and forgiveness. Every single one of us has been pushed, tested and challenged during this unprecedented time and now we get to show up with fresh eyes and newly developed skills and tools to help us the rest of the way. A blessing in disguise. A silver lining. As we start to welcome in the “New Roaring 20’s” as some are calling it, we have the opportunity to continue to practice and share what we’ve learned with each other.

As the seasons came and went and the world as we knew it was changing right before our eyes, some things stayed the same. From my new lens, I see that we are far more similar than we are different. We are all a contradiction, a paradox. We are naturally beautiful in our own ways, just as we are. We may not choose to see it this way or agree all the time, and that’s okay. At the end of the day, I believe we all just want to feel seen, heard, respected and understood. I know that it starts with ourselves. We have stories to tell and common shared values to express and I look forward to welcoming in this new time and all it will reveal.

“Nature never hurries, yet everything is accomplished.”- Lao Tzu

Let’s go, Roaring 20’s!! More dancing? Yes! More hugs? Yes! More celebrations? Yes! More simplicity? Yes! More connection? Yes! More authenticity? Yes! More letting go? Yes! More joy? Yes! More healing? Yes! More welcoming in? Yes!

See you by the river and out in the world!

With love,

Gretchen