On June 14, 2018, eight women, three of whom had never sailed before, set out from Port Townsend, WA, on a grueling 750 mile race to Ketchikan, Alaska. The name of their sailboat was Sail Like A Girl.  Their goal was to get from Port Townsend to Ketchikan, completely self-supported and without a motor.  There's no official route, except to sail through Seymour Narrows and Bella Bella, British Columbia.  
 
30 teams set out, and only 21 finished the race. The final team took 3 weeks to arrive.  Sail Like A Girl's team leader wanted to assemble an all-women crew to encourage more women to take up sailing, and to push back against stereotypes about female sailors.

They didn't know each other before meeting up last October.  Their boat needed serious maintenance and refurbishment.  They didn't expect to win the race.  They crashed into a log on a dark, foggy night, and thought their boat might go down.  They thought they were way behind, but it turned out they were in the lead.  They pushed hard, and in six and a half days, reached Ketchikan to the cheers of the crowd.  Looking back, they say that while it was rewarding to win, if was just as fulfilling to see what the act of plunging into the unknown had brought out in themselves. 

Each woman brought a different strength to the team.  They could tackle all the concerns from different angles.  They also wanted to honor their "warriors," their loved ones who had been affected by breast cancer.  Their names were written on their boat.   It inspired them to keep persevering no matter what happened.  They credit their success to their cooperative teamwork and unity.  Their courage to tackle the unknown and to persevere through all the obstacles paid off.  Team captain Jeanne Goussev reflected, "It was the greatest experience that I've had in my adult life of teamwork."

Congratulations to this crew and all the women and men who strive for excellence and persevere!

(I got to see these 8 awesome women in our Fourth of July Parade; 3 of the women live on the small island where I live, and we all cheered mightily as they rode by!)

With enthusiasm,
​Betsy

On these sunny, warm blue-sky days in the Pacific Northwest, I am basking in the beauty surrounding me, and I am so grateful for nature.  Beauty is so important in my life.  How about you?   How do you feel when you are in a place of beauty outdoors?  Does it make your soul peaceful?  Take a moment and breathe deeply.  Imagine yourself by the ocean, watching and listening to the waves roar, or gently lap against the shore.  Imagine walking through the woods, inhaling the fresh scent of pine or cedar, with no pavement beneath your feet, listening to birds or leaves fluttering in the breeze.  Remember back to your childhood.  Do you remember exploring the woods near your house, or going to the lake in summer time with friends?  How often do you take the time to be nurtured by nature? 

Have a beautiful day!
Betsy
​

Today’s kids spend less and less time outdoors, and it’s taking a toll on their health and well-being. Research has shown that children do better physically and emotionally when they are in green spaces, benefiting from the positive feelings, stress reduction, and attention restoration nature engenders.  

Richard Louv is co-founder and chairman emeritus of the Children & Nature Network and author of Last Child in the Woods, The Nature Principle, and, most recently, Vitamin N: 500 Ways to Enrich the Health & Happiness of Your Family & Community. Louv has written eloquently about the importance of nature for children and what they miss by spending too much time indoors. Read what Louv says about what children need to lead healthier and happier lives in a recent article in Greater Good Magazine.

I've never liked rules!  Whenever anyone tells me I have to do something their way, I dig in my heels and say, "Hell no!"
 
But when I was first introduced to the virtues as a way to live mindfully, and learned that setting clear boundaries was an important Virtues Project™ strategy, I listened.     
Betsy Lydle Smith
I was very conflicted about setting boundaries and sticking to them.  I grew up in a family where my dad would say one thing and my mom another.  We were expected to be "mind-readers."  Mom would get angry and say something like, "You never help me; I have to clean the whole house by myself."  Dad didn't back her up, and so we kids didn't help either. 

No one had ever told me that clear and consistent boundaries create a safe and healthy family.  I learned that when boundaries are based on Justice and Respect, they become a foundation for a loving, healthy family life.  Children need clear boundaries to feel safe and to have a structure where everyone is respected. Children  need to know they can count on the adults to be their guides and protectors. 

If Mom and Dad had known how to set clear boundaries, they would have sat down with us and talked about our responsibilities as members of our family.  One responsibility might have been that we all needed to help clean the house and do the dishes, and there would be relevant consequences if we didn't.  Each person's responsibility would have been discussed, spelled out, and written down with a timeline for it to be completed, ideally done in consultation with the whole family.

Questions for reflection:
1.  What am I thankful for today?
2.  What gifts have come from a difficult time?
3.  What joys am I open to today?
4.  How am I a blessing to others?

Wishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving!

​While traveling recently in Northern Wisconsin, I came upon this document in the Ojibwe Museum and Cultural Center in Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin.   What beautiful teachings.

Virtues Reflection Cards by Linda Kavelin Popov are available as an app!