This week in France and across Western Europe was all about the heat wave. It dominated the news and our conversations, with enthused sharing of news, tips, and commiseration, against the backdrop of a slow acceptance that this is the new reality for summertimes.

I stayed home as much as possible, keeping calm and reading as attention allowed. A friend mentioned that it was not unlike the lockdown. We are privileged, then and now, to be in a position where that comparison is not an entirely negative one.

After a big thunderstorm on Saturday night, and we woke up Sunday to a blissfully cool breeze.

I had the first of what I hope will be many years of regular group calls with four other Gestalt practitioners. The intent is to continue practicing together, providing support and accountability, and the way I see it, to become part of each other’s lives. We will meet online every three weeks, with a shared desire to gather in-person at times, too. Such self-organized peer configurations have become critical pieces of social infrastructure for me since 2020, when I deepened my commitment to learning as a social practice. I look forward to nurturing this one, and being part of what unfolds.

Weeknote title is from the Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, as quoted in Tara Brach’s book, reminding us to make ourselves available to whatever life is offering us in each moment.