July Recap

July

It has taken me ages to reflect on July on this blog! July quickly came and went and I haven't even decided what my song of the summer is! It is hard to fathom that soon August will pass by and take summer along with it. I've been working a lot this summer and time has gotten away from me in some respects.

Cape Henlopen State Park

This summer my sisters took a day trip to Cape Henlopen State Park. With our road trip playlist set and snacks in hand, we woke up early and set off to reach the beach. It's a very lovely park with beautiful ocean waves crashing tranquil sand paths and warm rays of sunshine. We relaxed, collected shells, and watched dolphins swim on the horizon.

For all of the ups, this day trip had some downs. The parts that no one will show you on Instagram are the mosquito bites and the struggle to find parking. Posts on social media will crop out any mention of your skinned knees from falling off your boogie board. They also will definitely not show you the feeling of total anguish when you drive 2.5 hours, and trudge through the hot sand to find a good spot on the beach only to realize you accidentally packed the toddler-sized beach tent instead of the full-sized umbrella. (At that point I burst out laughing at the absurdity of all the small hurdles we had run into.)

Although there were parts that were not fun, overall, it was nice to spend the day with my sisters and to explore a beautiful place with them. I think so often we try to omit the sad or frustrating parts of traveling, but it is important to acknowledge much of traveling can be disappointing. It's unrealistic to expect everything to be great all of the time.

For example, maybe the TSA will confiscate your cafe sandwich, but on the flip side, perhaps you'll watch one of your favorite movies of the year on the plane. Events may not always go according to plan, but it can still be a good time.

Sparks of Joy in July

Some day to day glimmers in the month of July included enjoying frozen treats with Millie, stumbling upon a field full of hundreds of black-eyed Susans and buying myself a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers.❤️

Audio book recommendation

In July I listened to the audio book Sociopath by Patric Gagne. I found it to be a bold deeply introspective memoir. Patric is a fascinating, charming, and captivating writer. She is a diagnosed sociopath and she shares her coming-of-age story alongside her coming to terms with this diagnosis. In her novel, she bares her soul and offers a deep glimpse into her life, struggles, and accomplishments. She openly shares her diagnosis of sociopathy and raises awareness for it by doing so.

I am always interested in learning more about how others see or process the world. I think we very often see ourselves as “the main character” of the world. I know I can be guilty of this. We are frequently very caught up in our own thoughts, feelings, and experiences. So, to learn so deeply about someone else's perspective is very interesting to me.

At one point in the novel, Gagne recounts being a college student in a pediatric clinical setting. She recalls a statement made by a fellow intern. This colleague callously states that they "would rather their child have cancer than be a sociopath." Other classmates nodded in agreement and this filled Gagne with sadness. Gagne remembers how deeply this moment affected her and she writes:

“In that moment I wanted to race back in time to the child I once was and take her face in my hands. ‘You're not bad,’ I wanted to tell her. ‘I swear to God you’re a good kid. A kind kid. Don’t let anybody tell you different.’ ‘Wait for me,’ I wanted to beg. ‘Wait for me and I’ll prove it.’” – Patric Gagne, Sociopath

This was one of the most moving parts of the book for me. It reminded me of the quote, “Be the person you needed when you were younger.” This quote urges us to strive to be the kind of person we might have needed when we were children – a role model, a source of support, a reminder to someone that they are not alone. Gagne certainly achieved this. Over the course of the book she becomes a fierce advocate for those grappling with sociopathy, psychopathic, and anti-social personality disorders. In the memoir, she describes how hard she worked to become this person.

Slight spoilers ahead

The love story between Patric and David is both sweet and refreshingly genuine. Listening to her describe how in love she is with her partner is so romantic. Gagne describes the hard work she and David put into maintaining their relationship, even when it wasn't always easy. They worked hard to understand each other and grow together through various phases of life. It's deeply touching how they managed to maintain their relationship over time, distance, and after periods apart from each other.

I highly recommend listening to this audio book. It is narrated by the author herself. I listened to it using my Spotify premium account.

Life is short. Get a little coffee. Buy the bouquet of flowers.

"I wrote it because I wanted people like me to feel seen. The desire to be known is one of the most essential human conditions." - Patric Gagne

Parting monthly reflection

September is upon us. Fall is normally my favorite season. I love feeling a chill in the air, cozy sweaters, and the color of changing leaves. Planet earth reinvents herself over and over again as the seasons change. There are only 4 months left in 2024. What can I do to make those count? How can I acknowledge life's sadness and strife, yet look for the silver linings? Can I make someone around me feel seen somehow? I'll have to keep going to see -- and if anyone is reading this, I hope you can do something to take care for yourself today.

Photo by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash

Buy yourself flowers!