a tale of many warriors
warrior camp®
this picture was taken at warrior camp® in september when I was there last (september 15th-23rd). a lot has happened since then and the meaning of the picture holds even truer.
the first 2 days of warrior camp® were rainy, cold, damp, and cloudy. there was no sunshine. that was the way many warriors began too, no light in their eyes, little hope, no sunshine.
(i keep hearing a song 🎶 in my head no sunshine, maybe 2 different songs, do you?)
in the middle of the week, it rained again and this picture happened. the timing was impeccable, not only because it lifted all our spirits, but also because it was an outward expression of what was happening in camp. the light was making its way through and hope took hold for the warriors.
Eva Usadi, who founded this fantastic program says, "the goal of warrior camp® is to take suicide off the table". we all gather at camp (warriors and staff) and we work together--we work hard. the warriors work the hardest. we laugh together; we cry together; we live together. and, in the end, the sun breaks through the clouds, the cold, the heaviness, and a hope, joy (a rainbow), emerges to remind us that, yes, this moment and many moments to come, are beautiful, heartwarming, and filled with a sense of joy and hope.
and now the second part. 6 days after warrior camp® ended, my dad passed. he endured a courageous 7-year fight with cancer. i had struggled with my commitment to warrior camp®; i wanted to be there for him and i wanted to honor my commitment. my dad, a 25-year veteran, understood the importance of camp and never asked me not to go. still, everyday, i wondered if my dad was too sick for me to leave. we had a great day together, the day before i left for camp. i talked to him several times while i was away. (i have memories of my first warrior camp, talking to my dad as i walked the trails). this picture now reminds me of him: how i walked these grounds talking to him, the family, and his nurses. this picture also reminds me that through this emotional time it maybe cloudy, gray, and sad when i think of him but one day when i think of him the sun will shine, the heaviness will be replaced with a sense of joy and comfort.
so, as the fall season moves us into longer nights and shorter days, warm sunshine to cold winds, remember to care of yourself. your practice-- whether you rest and just breath for 5 minutes, read something inspiring, or, of course (wink, wink), take a yoga class--is the way to bring joy and comfort into your own life.
light your lamp & you light the world
-june