In January I suggested we “write a book together” in 2024 and pitched the idea of assigning each month a chapter title.
So far, I’ve had:
- January – Steady: Finding Solid Ground After a Year of Drowning
- February – Busy (with Intention): Making Time for Things that Provide Joy, Energy, and Thrill
- March – Up and Down: Trying to Enjoy the View from Life’s Rollercoaster
- April – Spring Cleaning: Unpacking My Bags and Tidying Up (Oh, and Look At Those Pretty Flowers!)
- May – Reflection: Another Trip Around the Sun – Let’s Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
June left me scratching my head. One day was great, the next awful. I had five nights of oxygen, followed by a week of solo-parenting a child with pneumonia.
There was a whole lot of muddling through.
The last month of a school year always seems rather…stale. Literally, from the dregs of snack wrappers and messy binders that come home from finally-emptied lockers; metaphorically, from kids and teachers (and parents) who are ready to wrap up the academic term. June also feels like the most transitionary of all the months, at least where we live in Canada. Spring ends, summer starts. Routines get upended.
Introspectively, I continued to reflect on – and pursue – values and activities that align with my theme of rest; and, in tandem, I continued to work on finding new ways to support my mental and physical health.
Phew. That’s a lot of weight resting on June’s shoulders! How’s this for summing it up?
June – The Murky Middle: Saying Goodbye and Looking Ahead
Your turn. How would you label Chapter Six (June 2024)?
Header photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Lisa’s Yarns
June was a month of highs and lows for you! I think I would title the month ‘goodbye crib!!’ We moved Taco to a big boy bed at the end of the month since he dropped his nap. Another family on our block had a baby in May so happily took it off our hands which means I didn’t have to deal with FB marketplace. Yay! I am nothing but happy to have the crib out of our house as it represents a transition out of the baby/young toddler stage of parenting.
Elisabeth
That is a HUGE step. I remember being absolutely delighted when we had officially transitioned L into a “big bed.” I think he was almost 4? He loved his Pack n’ Play (what we used for both kids because both were born in small apartments with no size for a real crib. He never climbed out and I think he found it very cozy and comforting. Thankfully, maybe because he was so old when he transitioned, he never fell out of bed or really came out of his room? A was in a “big bed” waayyyyyy earlier. They are VERY different personalities, so it makes sense she wanted freedom and independence earlier 🙂
And how wonderful you could pass the crib along. Win, win. And I completely agree that it really does stand as a big representation of moving firmly out of the toddler stage.
Nicole MacPherson
Your June sure was a roller coaster!! I don’t know if I have a title for my month. Something something garden? It feels like a lot happened and also nothing happened?
Elisabeth
Ha! Um, maybe you COULD WRITE ABOUT WRITING THE FIRST DRAFT OF A NOVEL. That’s kinda epic, Nicole <3
The Misadventures of Widowhood
My June chapter would be titled: Caught the Train to CrazyBusyVille – No Time for Spaces
Elisabeth
Life has a habit of getting crazy, doesn’t it. Sometimes that’s fun…and other times decidedly not.
Jenny
As always, I like your chapter title! LIke Nicole I don’t have a great title for June- I also feel like a lot happened, and nothing happened. I guess my title would be “June- Wait, What Happened?”
Elisabeth
June feels like an in-between month for you, too? Less transitionary for southerners because you’re already firmly in to summer break over a month before our schools let out!
mbmom11
June : Sun and clouds and lightning strikes.
Elisabeth
Eeks. Lightening strikes sound ominous whether I read that literally or metaphorically.
Daria
June: convalescing and camping
Elisabeth
I suppose some people could do those things concurrently. I would definitely need to convalesce AFTER camping…
San
Ugh lots of ups and downs in June for… murky middle sounds about right. I do hope July starts off with a bang!
June for me went by fast. I am trying to remember what I did. It was the month of “What happened again, Feedly?” for me. Sigh.
Elisabeth
The Feedly thing is so frustrating. And a huge demerit to me for continuing to forget to check your blog. I’m so conditioned to go to Feedly and then when I saw you comment here I remembered the Feedly issue again.
I am screaming into the void on your behalf!
Joy
June was exhausting! Seven family birthdays so many presents, cards, phone calls, meals, pies, cakes, etc. My writing goals went down the drain. On the positive side, my reading slump was officially over on Memorial Day weekend and I read five books in June. By the end of the month, I was ready for a fresh start.
Elisabeth
Wow – that does sound like a lot. Many fun things, but when they pile up even fun things can start to feel draining and/or burdensome.
Three cheers for fresh starts…
Sarah
Murky middles is a perfect description. My June was hot, sticky, and rambling. I am happy to be in July!
Elisabeth
You had SUCH a busy June, and I’m sure it feels good to have some of those big things (graduations! end of school! beach trip) successfully behind you <3
NGS
January: It Happened
February: CBBC, Tornadoes, and Snail Mailpalooza
March: SAD Lamp Needed
April: Denial…It Ain’t Just a River in Egypt
May: On the Road Again
June: Rainy Days and Rainy Nights
Basically, it rained all month. Everything is flooded. I was up a lot of nights because a certain four-legged creature was scared. That’s all. I worked first-year orientation a lot, but I think what I will most remember about June is how the sun never came out and it just rained and rained.
Elisabeth
Rain, rain…go away. It seems like certain areas never get enough and other areas get too much. Sigh. I’m not a fan of rain day after day. Occasionally is nice and necessary, but when it drags on for the majority of the month I start getting VERY sour about it.
Stephany
Gosh, June went by so fast! I can’t believe we’re already a few days into July. Ahh!
My trip to Chicago was a highlight and it also came with a lot of social anxiety so I think I would title June, Battling My Social Anxiety Demons – and Winning.
Elisabeth
I felt like June lasted forever – in good and bad ways – but now I can’t believe it’s July 5th. Somehow my brain is still processing things as it being June.
The winning part says it all! It is so, so hard (and frustrating) to have to battle our “demons” but it’s worth the fight <3
Ally Bean
Your turn. How would you label Chapter Six (June 2024)?
My Chapter would be: Too Hot To Think Straight
June dragged on and we lived under the heat dome and I was so tired the whole month. Too much sun, too much heat, not enough fun outside stuff.
Elisabeth
We had over a week of that heat dome and it was intense! Ironically, it curtails fun activities more than just about any other type of weather.
Elinoora
June was a very mixed bag! We went on holiday to Denmark (Lego House! Waterpark!) but my big project wasn’t as wrapped up as I hoped when I came back. So also lots of stress 🙁 We’re at the end of the academic year, and my oldest is going to secondary school in September, so there’s also a lot of doing things for the last / first time and practising for the musical. In the Netherlands, group 8 (last year of secondary school) performs a musical at the end of the year, which is a nice tradition but there’s a lot of prep and stuff to remember. So I think that sums up to:
June: Battling the stress demons, recharging in Billund.
Elisabeth
The first part sounds fun! Denmark is such a lovely spot. We need to get back there soon (my brother and his wife live in Copenhagen).
Those end-of-term things *sound* lovely, but always involve so much organization, money, and time. Oof. I also feel like the energy levels are pretty low all around at that point in the academic term?
ccr in MA
I spent the first part of June trying to get my feet back under me after my trip, which took longer than I thought it would, but I had more time for relaxing and fun accomplishments later in the month, so I guess my chapter is June: Bumpy Re-entry, But Gaining Steam.