This has been such a full Columbus Day weekend already, and it’s only Sunday.  When I say full, I mean that in a positive sense, not in the “I haven’t stopped moving in 36 hours” sort of sense, which is one of my ways of being that I often adopt.  Jerry and I have a mini date tomorrow afternoon (a matinée of Gone Girl, oh my!) and Dylan will be able to join me and Cooper as we visit my dad on the Cape Tuesday for his birthday (Thanks Professional Development Day!).  This weekend I get 4 days straight of relaxed connection with family and friends.  I feel like that’s a gift in a life which can easily feel busy and overwhelming.

I had the privilege this weekend of being with some of my favorite women on the planet, spending time with them, on the phone or in person, and connecting about some of the big things in life.  We explored what it meant to feel happy, satisfied, and comfortable in our own skin; we touched upon what paths we take to get there.  We had some great conversations, and looked at what it takes to live a life that feels good and real, and that honors who we are and the journey we each are on.  I got to see some of the successes and share in some of the challenges that these women were experiencing in the moment.  THIS is the stuff of life.  Challenges and successes.  Breakdowns and breakthroughs.  Love and loss, heart warmth and heart-break.

Tomorrow I will get to share some time and space with my husband, something that I treasure and that doesn’t come as often as I may wish, despite the fact that he works from home and we pass by each other in the house quite frequently.  The tone for this weekend is clear.  We’re going deep people!

I’m pretty sure I have Mercury to thank for the awesome connection I’ve been a part of this last few days.  Mercury is in retrograde right now, the retrograde period runs from October 4th to the 25th (although there’s a stretch for a week before and a week after those dates which is still a bit suspect).  I’m always looking into what Mercury affects and how the retrograde motion will impact our lives.  When discussing it with Jerry tonight, he wanted to know what Mercury Retrograde means and why it impacts us.  During retrograde periods, it appears to be moving backwards in the sky (it’s actually an illusion, it just slowed down).  Mercury Retrograde is a great time for reflecting on the past and trusting our intuition.  According to the Farmer’s Almanac, coincidences during this time can be “extraordinary.”  If I go with the flow during these periods and don’t take things too seriously, I find I can make it through in good stead.  I may not get my Papa Gino’s online order through correctly (thanks Mercury!), but I get to be with my people in an extraordinary capacity.  I’ll take it!