A brief check-in to say hi and connect
It’s been a day since I last checked in, and much has changed since I last landed in your inbox.
I believe I last reached out in late March, so it’s high time I fill you in.
The Summertime Social Media Sabbatical
After completing my Mindfulness Training Groups in late June, I decided to take a break from social media. I spent time present with family, and, to my surprise, I didn’t miss social media or being told I needed Botox or miracle creams that wiped decades away from my face. Nor did I miss being told how to dress like a younger-looking middle-aged woman. I didn’t even miss the housekeeping hacks. Instead, I received hours back in my day, sunsets, and belly laughs with the people I love most.
My phone was even kind enough to notify me of the reduced screen time averaging 1 hour and 10 minutes per day.
The Inspiration of Dad’s Health
In late summer, my 82-year-old dad was urgently called to St. Vincent’s Private regarding a respiratory concern. Ten days later, Dad was in the ICU recovering from a quadruple bypass – yes, at almost 83 years young, doctors deemed Dad fit enough to undergo a complete restructuring of the blood flow to his heart. It was a mammoth operation that naturally brought great uncertainty and immeasurable worry for us all. But day by day, and sometimes moment by moment, we supported each other and Dad as best we could.
I am one of those people who is excellent at asking “How can I help?” But I am not so experienced at asking others for help. But last August, I reached out to friends, barely able to speak, tears stinging my eyes, and asked for their prayers. What struck me most was how far people went; human kindness is one of our greatest strengths as a species, and I will be forever grateful.
Last week, Dad returned home. He can walk and talk again. His appetite is back, and he enjoys short daily walks.
What stood to him most was the choices he has made over the last few decades. Namely eating well and walking up to six kilometres most days.
Inspired, I have joined the gym for these Winter months ahead and think of Dad each time I really don’t feel like going. My husband, Brian, has joined too, and now friends are signing up and taking agency over their health too. I love the ripple effect.
Heaven in the return to the classroom.
In 2021, I attended two interviews: one with UCC for a place on the MSc in Mindfulness-Based Wellbeing. The second was with SETU (SpIRE) for a place on the MA in Applied Spirituality. When I was lucky enough to be offered a place on both, I listened to my intuition, which said the time would come for the MA in Applied Spirituality, but not yet. So, I completed the MSc in Mindfulness-Based Wellbeing.
In January, the annual opportunity to apply for the MA in Applied Spirituality arose. Unlike former years, this time my intuition said something different: “The time is right. Apply.”
So that’s what I did – because it felt right.
The week before commencing the MA, I would have loved time to prepare myself mentally and emotionally for the commitment. But instead, life happened. Between visits to Dad, tending to Mum, trying to find accommodation for my daughter in UCC (I kid you not, I honestly had visions of Sophia sleeping in her car somewhere in Cork), and preparing Gabriella for 5th year, I didn’t have a moment to prepare for the MA. I remember the guilt I felt either way, but moment by moment, I did my best; it’s all I could do.
However, it was worth it. I have described my experience on the MA so far as “Hilly Heaven.” For three days, at least once a month, I get to sit in a classroom with some of the kindest, wisest, most grounded and curious people I have ever met. Homework is reading books on spirituality. We study spirituality in society and social concern, Celtic Spirituality, self-reflection, awareness, presence, and great spiritual writers, to name a few. It is like God created an academic classroom in heaven and gave it a home in SpIRE (Spirituality Institute for Research and Education) in Milltown, Dublin. It is hard work, but I am loving every moment of this MA.
Coming Home
What is also quite interesting is that I grew up and went to school in Milltown, just down the road from where SpIRE is now. So, in many respects, this feels like coming home.
So, after almost twenty-four years as a Spiritual Practitioner, I feel this is the next chapter in the journey. I don’t know what it’ll look like, but I have a couple of hopes and ideas.
Namely, my research thesis will study how contemplative practices help interrupt unhelpful intergenerational family patterns. I’m looking forward to the deep dive and will keep you posted.
My Spiritual Wellbeing Practice is welcoming clients
Meanwhile, I continue to welcome clients to the Spiritual Wellbeing Practice in Monaseed.
I admit that there is a sense of renewal, something deeply refreshing in the practice since starting the MA. Perhaps it’s because I feel supported, surrounded by all these books I must read. Or maybe it’s because I feel part of a community of like-minded souls. Or maybe it’s because I recognise that all roads have led to this one, and I am exactly where I am meant to be, headed where I am meant to go. Either way, the question is ever-present: “How can I help?”
Perhaps one of the greatest reminders of these past few months has been that none of us are meant to navigate life entirely on our own. Sometimes we need someone to listen, sometimes we need guidance, and sometimes we simply need a little space to reconnect with ourselves and the wisdom that’s already within us.
It is a privilege to hold that space for others, and after almost twenty-four years of doing so, it remains a part of my life that I deeply love.
So, whether we have worked together before or our paths have yet to cross, know that you are always welcome.
If something within you is calling for support, guidance, clarity, or simply a space to explore where you are in life, the time may be right for you, too.
You can explore the different ways we might work together at www.hilaryconnor.com.
Until then, take good care of yourself and those you love.
With love,
Hilary x
