A summary of the June posts from the MORE TO COME newsletter.
The solstice arrived this month amidst the ongoing battle to uphold democracy and the rule of law; support decency and concern for all humans; fight for our rights and our protections. While surveying the bounty of nature alongside the insatiable desire of the oligarchy to hoard more and more of our public wealth, I have been considering what one wise writer calls summertime truths.
Here are two I believe, although neither is original. First, abundance is a communal act. Second, even with work to be done—especially because the work never ends—every one of us needs time off to dawdle. Community not only creates abundance, writes Parker J. Palmer—community is abundance. “If we could learn that equation from the world of nature, the human world would be transformed.” Following on that assertion is my belief that blank spaces in your calendar can be restorative and magical. Transformational even.
We are always in the middle of the story, even when—as I reflect upon the post with the most reader views this month—we are looking at the end of life. So much of what matters extends beyond the years of one lifetime. Rebecca Solnit phrased this universal relationship beautifully. “The past equips us to face the future; continuity of memory tells us we are both descendants and ancestors.”
We have often thrived on the bounty provided by past generations but we should also work to ensure an abundant life for the future. “Life becomes harder for us when we live for others, but it also becomes richer and happier,” wrote Albert Schweitzer, the Nobel laureate famous for his Reverence for Life philosophy.
Let’s jump in and see how these thoughts played out in the MORE TO COME posts this month.
TOP READER FAVORITES
After learning that a friend and former colleague passed away following a difficult battle with pancreatic cancer, I sat down and wrote Life is finite . . . love is not. Hundreds of readers were touched when Nancy—in the last message sent to friends and family just a few days before she passed—talked about drawing from a great reservoir of gratitude for the wonderful life she’s been given. What a beautiful way to think about our time on earth.
REMEMBERING WHAT’S IMPORTANT
Americans are being told that we need to enact terrible and cruel policies based on made-up history. Four MTC posts from June came at this challenge in different ways.
- A compass, not a manual is my take on Rebecca Solnit’s terrific new book of essays No Straight Road Takes You There. I’m quoting from this book often during these strange times, as she reminds us that we’ve seen serious attacks on democracy and rights before, and the way forward is not always a simple, straight path.
- Juneteenth: An American story reviews Annette Gordon-Reed’s history/memoir On Juneteenth, a short but powerful examination of history, race, and agency.
- Protecting space for the ancient questions is a reflection on spiritual writers who show us how in times of personal and political distress “nature gives us a model of persistence and the promise of new life.”
- Three things is a rather short piece produced the morning after the U.S. bombed Iran.
GREAT JOURNEY THROUGH EUROPE
June was another month of travel to see exceptional places, meet a cross-section of humanity, ponder different perspectives. We spent two weeks in Europe, and I reflected on this trip with four different posts:
- Seeking the beautiful and awe-inspiring considers how our visit to the Swiss Alps is part of a late-in-life exploration of things magnificent and elemental.
- Lucerne, Switzerland, is a beautiful community with a history worth knowing, as I describe in Telling the story in a most delightful way.
- We visited places of worship with both uplifting and difficult histories in almost every city in our travels, as I recount in The beauty and challenges of our landmarks.
- Finally, I wrapped it all up in Our journey through Europe.
Our next National Trust Tours trip is set for this fall. The Emerald Isle Cruise: Ireland and Northern Ireland should be splendid. There is still room available and we’d love to have you join us!
THE BOOKS I READ THIS MONTH
The quirks of the calendar and travel meant that I posted seven different book reviews during June. In addition to the two above, here are the other five, in no particular order.
- The Copernicus of baseball—John W. Miller’s biography The Last Manager: How Earl Weaver tricked, tormented, and reinvented baseball is an informative read that’s also great fun. They broke the mold when they made The Earl of Baltimore.
- Prisoners of their own secrets—Ambrose Parry’s murder mystery The Death of Shame takes the reader back to Victorian Edinburgh.
- The many forms of love—John Williams’ classic novel Stoner became a surprise bestseller decades after it was originally released.
- Architecture, disability, and modern culture—David Serlin’s architectural and cultural history Window Shopping With Helen Keller looks at disability and design.
- Return to the beginning—Louise Penny’s murder mystery Still Life is the first in her long-running Inspector Gamache series.
From the bookshelf: May 2025 is the familiar monthly summary.
COMMENTS I LOVED
I came late to reading the classic American novel Stoner. Brilliant reader Tracy was just one of several who wrote to say this was a book worth savoring: “STONER is one of my favorite books, David. Thanks for reminding me why.”
CONCLUSION
Thanks, as always, for reading. Your friendship, support and feedback mean more than I can ever express.
As you travel life’s highways be open to love; thirst for wonder; undertake some mindful, transformative walking every day. Recognize the incredible privilege that most of us have and think about how to put that privilege to use for good. Women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants, public servants, and others can feel especially vulnerable . . . because they are. Work hard for justice and democracy as the fight never ends.
But also take time to dawdle and dream. Leave enough empty space to feel and experience life. Those gaps are where the magic begins. When times get rough, let your memories wander back to some wonderful place with remembrances of family and friends. But don’t be too hard on yourself if a few of the facts slip. Just get the poetry right.
Remember that “we are here to keep watch, not to keep.” Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. And bash into some joy along the way.
Life is finite . . . love is not.
Try to be nice. Always be kind.
More to come . . .
DJB
For the May 2025 summary, click here.
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Image of statue of Novel laureate Albert Schweitzer in Strasbourg, France by Simone Mayor (credit: simonemayor.ch)
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