Beginner's Mind
moons, moms, and manuscripts
I did something this week that I’ve never done before. My husband was so proud of me, he came home with a small bottle of champagne to celebrate.
As I’ve leaned into celebrating joy, I’ve learned that the little things matter most. You don’t need lavish feasts, fancy decorations, or large parties to celebrate. A simple treat. A special moment of acknowledgement. All you really need is intention and someone to share your joy with.
Did you follow the Artemis II? It felt weird to witness this moon journey. When I was a kid, I remember my parents talking about watching Neil Armstrong walk on the moon when they were kids. I’m from Ohio, so we learn about Neil Armstrong and John Glenn in elementary school. Now, I’m the parent and my kids are the future generations watching astronauts fly to the moon and back. My daughters get to watch all this and say, “that could be me someday.” Instead, my 4yo informed us out of the blue that she’s afraid to be a mom someday because she doesn’t want her belly cut open. Fair.
NASA keeps saying this is just the beginning. Though this isn’t the first time we’ve flown humans into space, it was the furtherest humans have ever flown into space. One of them had never even been in space.
The goal is to live on the moon. I have feelings about that. I’ll be remaining here on Earth, thanks. My son loves watching all this stuff and learning about the rockets. It would be super cool if he could be a NASA engineer someday working on spacecraft. But I’d very much like him not to go to Mars. Or the Moon.
This morning I went for a run and looked up at that big floating rock in the sky. There were humans flying around her a couple days ago. 238,855 miles away. Wild. Incomprehensible.
We watched the astronauts land safely in the Pacific Ocean, bob around on an inflatable “porch” waiting for a helicopter to winch them up so they could be transported to a Navy ship. I felt bad for them. You rocket down from space at 25,000 mph only to have to bob in the ocean in your claustrophobic capsule, then be carried out of said capsule onto an inflatable boat bobbing in the ocean even more, only to be hooked onto a harness and lifted up into a helicopter—now you’re flying again—then land on a ship. My goodness how they must have wanted to touch actual land. Not water. Not boats. Not metal helicopters. Dirt.
We named my daughter Luna. My husband wanted to name her Artemis. We agreed on the Moon part, at least. The Romans won our battle. Artemis is also the Goddess of the Hunt. Of Wilderness. And of childbirth. The hunt, the wilderness, childbirth, and for now, the moon, all have one thing in common: the unknown.
Naming the moon mission Artemis is layered. Humans (Americans) are hunting the wilderness of space to do some more colonizing. Like I said, I have thoughts. But when I was running, looking up at that quarter moon, thinking how wild it was that humans were just up there, I couldn’t help thinking that the moon, that spacious wilderness, my Luna, really just represents potential and possibility. And that feels hopeful, minus the colonizing part and the inevitable Star Wars that go along with it. Perhaps I’m reading too much sci-fi. Red Rising, anyone?
Speaking of hope, give this post by Andrea Ferretti a read. She sums up the hope, why these moon missions really matter, the connection between science and spirituality, so well. We don’t need to colonize the moon. We need to free our mind.
This is the beauty of being a beginner. You don’t know. You have hope. There is nothing but potential and possibility in front of you and it’s exciting. It motivates you. If only we could always be beginners. Open minded. Inspired by what could be rather than mired down by a pessimistic reality.
This week I submitted my first ever manuscript for an award. I’m writing children’s books now. I have no idea what I’m doing. And it’s kind of freeing.
Reasons to Celebrate
Sunday, April 12
International Day for Human Space Flight
Pretzel Sunday
Walk On Your Wild Side Day
Monday, April 13
International Plant Appreciation Day
National Peach Cobbler Day
National Scrabble Day
Tuesday, April 14
International Moment of Laughter Day
National Donate a Book Day
National Gardening Day
National Look Up At the Sky Day
Wednesday, April 15
International Microvolunteering Day
National Banana Day
National Laundry Day
World Art Day
Thursday, April 16
Day of the Mushroom
National Librarian Day
National Reveal the Genius Within Day
Friday, April 17
Blah Blah Blah Day
International Day of Mastering Conversations That Matter
National Haiku Day
Saturday, April 18
National Animal Cracker Day
National Exercise Day
National Velociraptor Awareness Day
With gratitude,
Ashley
Congratulations on the new journey writing children’s books. I love kids literature and would happily read it even if I didn’t have kids, lol. And yes…potential and possibility. That’s much lighter to focus on than colonization and wouldn’t we rather put our focus on what we want, anyway?