May 18th - The Most Perfect Day of the Year
Why May 18th is My Favorite Day of the Year
When I was little, I had a dear friend named Katie French and it’s her birthday today. Katie and I were in the same class every year in elementary school and in about 3rd grade I noticed that May 18th was always an exceptionally good day. Each year on this day the weather seemed to be particularly good, there seemed to be a little bit of extra magic in the air and it was fun to celebrate a birthday, so I declared May 18th my favorite day of the year. I’ve celebrated this day every year since, a sort of secret holiday.
This year, May 18th was going to be EXTRA special (dare I say the best yet?!?) because I had plans to greet six incredible women at Tribhuvan International Airport and share with them their first taste of the wild, wonderful city that is Kathmandu. I have been looking forward to this day for MONTHS! And yet...
This morning I woke up in Connecticut. Happy to celebrate another May 18th. And yet….my heart ached for Kathmandu; for my friends who were supposed to be experiencing the excitement of a new place for the first time. And yet....I indulged in an extra long yoga practice this morning. Before dawn. I burned incense that I brought back from Namche Bazaar. I moved slowly. Pushed the sadness from my heart with my breath. Afterwards, I ground up cardamom, peppercorns and cinnamon and heaped sugar into milky tea so that I could start my day as if I were in Nepal. I saw fox kits on my walk this morning. The peonies in my front garden exploded in magnificent bloom today. My family is healthy. My friends are healthy. It’s a beautiful day here. Sunny. Warm. Breezy. Another really good May 18th.
There were thunderstorms in Kathmandu today. It’s unseasonably hot in the Valley right now. It’s unseasonably cold in the mountains. As Ehrmann writes in Desiderata: “And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.” We will all meet in Nepal soon - when the time is just right.
What's on my My Mind May 18th, 2020
From the Pictures Above// (The numbers are small so you might have to guess)
1. This fancy fellow hangs out in Kathmandu Durbar Square with his very big Nepali flag and an even bigger smile. He’s one of my favorites.// 2. Yoga Doodles by Lili Chin// 3. Connecticut morning views// 4. As good as any advice I’ve ever come across// 5. Garden Buddha// 6. Sunset at the Monkey Temple, Kathmandu// 7. Prayer flags over one of my favorite restaurants in KTM...we’ll share a meal there!// 8. Pretty much sums up Self Isolation Sundays…// 9. Tengboche, morning rush hour //10. Anyone want to meet in Montana once it’s safe to travel again? I’d love to have you all out to the farm...it’s not fancy, but the sunsets are really good! Something to tide us over until Nepal - even if it’s just a weekend!// 11. Painting by Nepali artist Tenin Norbu// 12. Climb that goddamn mountain// 13. Love in the sky// 14. Peaceful woman. Swayambhu. // 15. Boots on the ground. En route to Lukla, waiting at the airport in KTM// 16. Q: Weren’t you supposed to be in Nepal right now? A: UGH// 17. Balloons for sale in Pokhara.
