What the Heat Does

Late June heat has its own quality. It’s not the aggressive, surprise heat of May. It’s settled heat. The kind that arrives at eight in the morning and is still there at nine at night. The kind that makes the air thick and slow and somehow both more difficult and more conducive to stillness.

Maple has adapted to this beautifully. She has identified every square foot of the house that gets a breeze and rotates between them with the efficiency of a small furry operations manager.

Here’s my Wednesday invitation in the heat of late June: slow down in proportion to the weather. Let the heat be an instruction. When the world slows, you can slow too. The check-in question today is physical as much as emotional: how does your body feel? Are you drinking water? Are you resting enough? Are you being a little gentler than usual with yourself on a hot Wednesday?

Let the heat be an instruction. When the world slows, you’re allowed to slow too.

How are you adapting to summer heat — is your body getting what it needs?