Summer Is But A Memory 🌞

Holly Margl
Monthly Recap

Personal Reflection 📝

Where has the summer gone?

Dare I say, beneath my bike’s wheels. 🤣

Reflecting on the past month, it was largely uneventful, which is fine by me. Though I haven't written about the dark side of being a published author, business owner, or Enneagram student, this year has had its share of battles and disappointments in all of the above. Sadly, I encountered too many dishonest and manipulative people masquerading as professionals offering guidance, support, and opportunity, leaving me allergic to business/book promotion and education. So, pondering August, I appreciate that it was void of 2024’s first six months of bullshit, providing more time for family and biking. Thanks to Jeanne, my MRT partner, cousin, and friend, I'm inspired and eager to continue challenging myself with more riding and fewer office hours.

Joey, ready for a ride?

 

Who's outside?
I think it's the ducks.
Okay, if you open the door very, very quietly while I keep lookout, we can sneak out to play with them.

In August, I had the great fortune to spend a week north of Ely, MN, at the Lodge of Whispering Pines with four generations of family. We spent time doing nothing on the beach, paddleboarding (for some of us), playing in the water (not really swimming), building seaside villages, and laughing (until some of us nearly peed our pants) while playing Cards Against Humanity.

This photo shows Benjamin and Nils considering the gaze of Dion, the cabin moose. Nils named him and is quite wary of Dion's intentions.

We celebrated my son Benjamin's 27th birthday at the cabin in Ely with the same chocolate cake with brown butter frosting swiftly devoured in Brainerd last month (not the actual cake... obviously—being devoured hardly makes it accessible two weeks later). We also had lots of vegetables because that is what my grandson, Nils, loves most. (I know, how lucky are we to have a two-year-old who chooses to eat vegetables?).

Happy Birthday, Benjmain! 🎉

On my rides, I saw sunrises, deer, rabbits, red squirrels, horseflies, and the forest floor, soft as a mattress, when I fell next to a log rather than riding over it. 🤣

Beautiful view of the forest floor

So what's up for next month? More biking (and investigating routes and gear for next year's riding season!) Nils and I will continue swimming lessons on Fridays, and I'll help complete the final touches on a project proposal with my manager while doing what I love most: coaching and mentoring. Lastly, we'll live through the sixth anniversary of Nicholas' death on September 22 while I continue asking myself: how has it been six years? 💔

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Big Lake; Ely, MN

Thank you for being a part of this transformative journey.
Your support and trust mean the world.

 

Holly Margl is the award-winning author of Witnessing Grief: Inviting Trauma and Loss to Our Coaching Conversations, An Enneagram Perspective. Holly is an ICF Master Certified Coach, an IEA Accredited Professional, and an Advanced Certified Mentor Coach specializing in grief, loss, and the Enneagram.

Witnessing Grief: Inviting Trauma and Loss to Our Coaching Conversations,
An Enneagram Perspective
Holly Margl, MCC, IEA Accredited Professional
Published August 30, 2022: The Compassionate Mind Collaborative
ISBN: 978-1737200673; $19.99

 
 

1946 St. Clair Avenue
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55105 USA

Autumn in Minnesota? 😎

MRT 🚴‍♀️ We Did It!