Peninsula Greetings

Hello, Olympic Peninsula!

by, V

After a wild and hot, beautiful, emotional, and family fun-filled summer, my little moon and I are back on the Peninsula from the Midwest. For those of you didn’t know, my daughter and I were a distance from her dad and the PNW for the summer. We split from the Midwest right before the blistery and dreaded winter hit, I heard it actually snowed a couple days after we left. Upon returning, she ran into his arms and held her face close to his. A truly adorable moment I’ll hold dear for a long time, I’m sure. However, Washington had a less loving greeting for my daughter- a slap in the face with the same cough she had when we left.

Rewind to spring, before we left. We were renting a cute little place out in west PA and we thought it was a place we could call home, at least for a round of seasons. Unfortunately as time kept passing, we discovered it was mold-ridden and rotting down, a problem the landowners did not want to either accept or fix. Our daughter was developing an awful cough that would hit so hard she would vomit and it stayed with her for far too long. Which is odd because she’s got a kick ass immune system and things don’t tend to linger with her. Chalking it up to the mold problem and with nowhere else to go, her and I packed the necessities and flew back out to the Midwest. Within a week, her cough was gone and she was back to her strong and healthy self leaving us to enjoy our summer.

Now, back to this fall in the present moment, her cough has returned just as wildly as it left. It’s been just over a week since we’ve been back and it keeps her up at night, she’s thrown up, and I feel helpless. The last thing I want is for her to take a respiratory hit just because we love the area and it’s leaving me in a stale place. On one hand I’m surrounded by the earthscapes I love so much, sea on one side and mountains on the other. I’m in a space where I feel my dreams can flourish. I feel an opportunity for positive and supportive co-parenting. And I see the option for our little one to develop a deeper bond with her dad... but with this potential health risk on the other hand. I say potential because I don’t know what is actually going on but for any parent out there, you can most likely understand what I mean when I say my gut tells me something is not ok.  It’s put me in a space of uncertainty, contrasted with the rootage I feel in this area which is leaving me confused as to where home is and where we need to be. So, here we are, taking many steps to factor out what this could actually be (with a sense of urgency) and if it can be fixed. If we’ll be spending more seasons here or if we’ll go back to the Midwest. As our life usually goes, we’re playing this by ear and continually riding this wave and being present with the ebb and flow of what is. Who isn’t, though?

With all that put out there, I think there is fruit to be harvested from this place and it’s something I feel compelled to share in my first post back. I’ve realized it’s a really great reminder and even reflection of what is happening right now with every single one of us on this life journey and even here at Goodness Tea. Obviously, we aren’t all facing health challenges of a 2 year old, bear with me now. BUT to always be aware of what is going on inside of us, to those around us, and how we can make it better is something of beautiful value that I’m embracing right now- something I see actively happening in this community and is what we center ourselves around here at Goodness Tea. This reminder has been such a blessing that pulls me out of that stale place and gives me a sense of grounding to re-center and find my solutions. To remove myself from the negative situation that exists and how to make it a positive one.  It fills me with gratitude that I’m lucky enough to come back to a place that exercises bettering both ourselves and the community. And to specifically encounter it in the lovely little corner of where I work, is such a precious thing to behold and apply to my own personal life. There have been so many nuggets of inspiration I’ve absorbed from what is happening around here that have helped motivate me to continually shape and encourage growth within my family. This has happened at both Goodness Tea and in the community as a large and I’d love to share my thoughts as a minimal thanks or tribute to everyone.

The Teahouse has had profound effects on my heart, as there is so much happening that I admire on a deep level. We are looking at the community and painting a larger picture of what we could do now and in the long run to collaborate and work together with both other businesses and the people. We ask ourselves what can we give our friends and customers to experience the medicinal and magic of nature’s herbs in such a way we don’t break their bank or the Earth. How can we provide nutritious and whole foods in a convenient way?  How can we support local farms and businesses and prevent food waste? How can we be a sustainable, eventually zero-waste business? So many important questions are asked everyday. I see a badass single mother running an eco-friendly business that’s super supportive of everything and everyone involved. I see someone who cares more about taking care of each other and the Earth than how much money she makes. I see someone who has a real love and passion for what it is she does. That moral set is the foundation of what is happening here and the whole team holds to that code. Something I feel deeply blessed to be surrounded by and something I want to take with me everywhere I go.

And when I look around outside in our community, I see so much of the same thing. The web of communication in this area is impressive and the collaboration to find solutions to problems is astounding. The continual conversations and pursuing of solutions to challenges in this area is more prevalent than I’ve seen anywhere else. Maybe it’s because it’s a small and tight-knit area but regardless, it’s happening and that’s something to be honored.  

It’s so beautifully ironic how lucky Goodness Tea is to have this community and how lucky the community is to have Goodness Tea. What a perfect example of how everything is connected as these two mirror each other.

So, I guess this is my tribute and thanks to the Peninsula and ultimately Goodness Tea upon my return and it’s the note I want to start on. I’ve learned so much from being here and have accumulated new wisdom to either hold with me here or take with me wherever we go next. I have no idea what the future holds (does anyone?) but I do know what I’ve gained from experiencing the culture in this area and at the Teahouse.

Please. Keep weaving this web, Olympic Peninsula. Please, keep holding up your high business and community morals, Goodness Tea. Keep supporting each other. Keep communicating. Keep building a better community. The Circle is strong here.

I hold so much gratitude for everything here as I’m constantly reminded to take care of myself, my daughter, my tribe, and each other. To ask myself the same questions that we’re asking in the Teahouse and within the community. To take charge and build a better life.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

(Although I’m still a little salty at Washington for my daughter’s cough, but I won’t hold a grudge.)

Love to everyone and appreciation for letting me get vulnerable in this post,

V

About the Author

Say hello to V; a passionate pursuer of all things health and wellness with emphasis on children and nutrition! She is the mama of one and you’ll almost never catch these two apart. She loves family time and finds deep grounding and joy in times when this union occurs.

V has spent time as a ballroom dance instructor where her passion of partner dancing originated, although she’s been dancing solo close to her entire life. She has also spent some time hitchhiking and backpacking across the country which led her to one of her dearest homes, a commune in northern California. This is where she learned about non-violent communication and consent culture, which are essential and continuously growing practices of hers. This is also the place that her daughter was conceived, the genesis of a whole new adventure and chapter in her life.

Concepts that are important to her include positive parenting, responsible holistic wellness, sustainability, consent culture, non-violent communication, and wholesome diets.

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