February 26, 2023

One idea to keep it slow and simple… know your weather systems

This week, we’ve seen rare snowfalls in places like Los Angeles and record heat in parts of the U.S. south. From farmers to hopeful schoolchildren, it seems everyone is watching the weather reports.

We pay such detailed attention to the weather because the calms and storms change the texture of our days. Though we may be fortunate enough to have shelter from driving rains and freezing temperatures, we also crave the hours of breeze and sun that warm our skin and nurture our gardens.

Our own lives have weather systems, too. Some days storming and others all rainbow.

Author, teacher, and Buddhist nun, Pema Chödrön, reminds us that our mental states are important and also temporary. When we get to know them and watch them pass in and out, we can become more finely tuned to how they change the way we see and act.

What would happen if you and your loved ones share your weather reports with each other? Like the TV weather reports, it could help you plan the ways you exist together. Are you feeling partly cloudy with a chance of storms? Are you misty, or in the midst of a high-pressure system? Maybe you’re experiencing record warmth today. If not today, then soon.

And some clickable fun—an ode to the mix tape!

We love to discover and share, so we’ve added three cool clickables. And just so you know, when we list products, it’s just because we like them. We’re not sponsored by anything but our dreams and imaginations.

• For our herb-infused vinegar recipe, we were inspired by this explainer from Bon Appéite. Try your own DIY and let us know how it went!

• Did you think of Tom Waits when you read about the mental weather report? Yeah, us too. Here’s the man himself performing “Emotional Weather Report” in 1977.

• Or, if you have little ones, introduce the concept with this read-aloud of My Inside Weather.