Minion Magic

The deal was simple: If the kids ran their hearts out, a special guest would arrive.

The guessing began, kids and coaches alike calling out their guesses of who it might be.

Well, the Running Medicine kids did indeed run their fastest and bestest over the next hour.

I made a few hand signals to summon the guest.

He struggled even to make it into the park, as there were some gates that were a bit narrow for his contours.

But, at last, he squeezed through.

What ensued was magical.

My son, dressed as a minion, was hugged and tugged by screaming little ones over the next 30 minutes.

It was as close to pure joy as I have experienced it in my life.

Close your eyes and picture the scene, letting some of those shrieks and shouts of the little ones to permeate. Allow this energy to wash over you like a gentle waterfall.

As we left the park, with me serving as the minion’s escort, a new group of children came up and asked if they could hug the minion. One by one, they took their turn.

“Okay, the minion has to go now,” I said.

My son, not wanting to disappoint them, pointed out that he couldn’t just take the costume off in the parking lot. So, we helped him into the back hatch of our SUV (again, made difficult by his girth) and closed the door. He could finally deflate the costume.

Glancing at the spot where we had left that last group of kids, I saw that they had not taken their eyes off us in the five minutes since we had said goodbye.

Again, take a moment here to picture this scene. Beautiful little ones waiting in anticipation that the minion might make one more appearance. And as you take in that scene, focus more on how it makes you feel to see those children lined up along the curb.

As we drove home, I asked my son to reflect on what an incredible feeling it is to be in a moment where you able to give joy to others. I wanted to hear about his experience from within the minion suit. Being a teenager, he focused a bit more on being punched and manhandled. Understandable.

Here, I invite you think about that feeling in a moment where you are giving joy to others. No minion outfit needed, but if you want to pretend you were the one in the inflatable costume, go for it. You might also think back to the most recent time you have had this experience. Soak it in, bringing back all of the emotion and sensation from that moment.

We can’t all be minions today.

But we do have this beautiful superpower – the ability to elicit joy in others.

Go forth and find ways to unleash that power.

Migrating

I was almost done with this morning’s run.

Thinking that I should blog sometime soon.

Slightly stressed about not having a topic that was coming to mind.

The sunrise was beautiful this morning, but I didn’t think it was going to be the subject for a blog.

And then, in the silence of the trail, I heard something.

I knew I had heard it, but wanted to be sure.

I was silent.

There it was again.

(Any guesses??)

It was a guttural sort of cry. As if someone was shouting while gargling water. A bit jarring for an early morning.

(Still guessing??)

Above me, in perfect “V” formation, a beautiful group of sandhill cranes. They continued southward, making their unique crane noises as they floated across the sky.

For me, the first sound of the cranes is a sacred moment each fall. 

And today was that moment for this year. Honored to share it with you.

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What is a sound or sight that signals a transition to the fall and winter months for you?

Have you heard or seen it yet this year?

If so, carve out some time today to think/pray/write/move as you reflect on what this means to you.

But even more important, reflect on how you want to use this time of transition. Like the cranes, who migrate from north to south, from old to new, we have a wonderful opportunity to migrate in our lives. What is the “new” you want to migrate toward?

I doubt that cranes spend any of their energy in fall/winter worrying about what they left behind. They simply move forward, knowing this is the place they are meant to be at this moment. We can learn from their example.

 

Sending you good energy for your migration.

Fly into your “new” with confidence and joy.

And hoping that that distinctive crane cry reaches your ears sometime in the near future.

92 Days

October is here.

Last 3 months of the year.

92 days until 2027 begins.

And just past the fall equinox, so night will 

be longer than day for the next months.

 

One place where our minds go in hearing this is to feel pressure, a time crunch of sorts. So much to do, no time to fit it all in.

That’s natural and that’s okay.

But let our gaze shift a bit to think about what is possible in this last quarter of the year, and our thoughts become more constructive. Maybe, even visionary.

 

Questions like these start to bubble to the surface:

If I could gift myself with something that I am needing/seeking in the next 92 days, what would it be?

How would I like to shift my energy (from what, to what) in the next 92 days?

What version of myself would I like to work on creating in the next 92 days?

Who do I want to be and how do I want to be 92 days from now?

Come up with your own questions.

Wrestle with the answers.

Enjoy the journey, even if you aren’t sure what questions you want to ask or if you don’t have answers for the questions.

 

May we spend these next 92 days in ways that bring healing to ourselves, those around us, and to our world.