5 Things to Tell You // Summer Solstice
A list of happy things & a blessing for you
Solstice cheer, to you and yours! The last time I made a list like this was around the spring equinox, so maybe this will be something I post on the quarter holidays from now on! We all need more joy, but I can also get overwhelmed by links - my brain wants to read all the things - so take what resonates and leave the rest. A list of happy things to read, listen to, enjoy.
The Sentence, by Louise Erdrich // I’ve written before about how I love an unconventional ghost story, and this one was fantastic. Louise has such a way with characters - they are each so unique but heartwarmingly human. I listened to the audiobook read by the author too, which was extra special.
American Born Chinese // this new show on Disney+ has been our favorite of the summer. It is based on the graphic novel by Gene Yang about a high schooler, Jin Wang, who is full of teen angst and feels out of place in his majority white school. And things only get worse when a new immigrant kid starts at school and threatens his fragile social standing. The show is funny and full of manga and myth and stunning choreography. AND it includes the main cast from Everything1 Everywhere All At Once!!
Holy Ghosting // I have loved this podcast since I first heard of it on
’s substack and this episode with Kevin Garcia was especially joyful and a great listen for Pride month. It was also a great reminder that spirituality can ebb and flow and evolve. I decided to refresh my altar space for pride and I’ll probably have the kids help me deck it out for solstice as well!
Altar building has been an amazing way to express my spirituality while also healing from religious trauma. For Pride I added one of my favorite icons, Christ the Light by Kelly Latimore and a rainbow bouquet. Waterways // It’s cancer season and this water sign is bringing me a lot of joy! And my kids & I have been finding so much happiness in our local waterways. It has been fun mapping our adventures and favorite beach locations and just getting more familiar with our beloved Great Lakes. If I do one thing as a parent, I hope it’s to help my kids feel at home here in our beautiful little corner of the world.
Poetry // This haiku by Koboyashi Issa, that I first read here, has been with me everyday since. It’s so tender.
This dewdrop world -
Is a dewdrop world,
And yet, and yet…
May you soak up the full beaming sun of summer, may it bring joy and growth and silliness and embodiment. May you splash in wild waters and remember you are one drop, but you are also the whole ocean! May these photos of our planet’s largest gift of fresh water bring you some calm today.
This was one of my favorite movies (granted, I don’t watch many but this one is a gem!) and I wrote a bit about it here. Ke Huy Quan’s character in American Born Chinese also has many parallels to Quan himself and his story of racial discrimination in Hollywood.
Your altar is so inspiring! I have done something similar on my desk for a while, but altars seem to involve more intentionality. Would you say so? What else would you add, if you’re interested?
Love your altar space! I want to create one too! 💙