Juno's June

The calendar page turned and it’s June. Most of us will go through 30 days not thinking about why it’s named June and not caring. But I always find it interesting to consider the source of words and the power they have to frame and define things. And so Juno, the Roman Goddess of love and marriage, which lines up nicely with the sought-after June weddings. Juno was Jupiter’s wife (and apparently, sister also. Hmm) and the equivalent of the Greek Hera. Her name shares an etymological root with “iuven,” related to youth, fertility and the vital force of the young. This also nicely parallels June as the end of Spring, a time of new life and the beginning of summer, a time we (well, especially schoolteachers) hope to be re-vitalized and recover our life force given to our work and/or the children in our classes.

New life is prophetic for my June to come, as I look forward to welcoming my grandson into this world. June 23^rd is the scheduled arrival time, but new life so rarely pays attention to that! It’s a big time for my eldest daughter giving birth to her second child and also for my youngest in the throes of a new love. (She announced it on Facebook, so I guess it’s public!)

In four days from now, I’ll complete my 40^th year teaching at The San Francisco School and my wife her 41^st. Before July arrives, I’ll perform again with my beloved Pentatonics Jazz Band at Stanford Jazz Festival (June 27^th—mark your calendar) and then take off for the Turkish countryside for a week of teaching in something called Circle Camp. While waiting around for Zadie’s brother to appear, I may get back to a book I worked on three Junes ago that has been patiently waiting.

So love and marriage is a good theme, all kinds of love and all kinds of marriage. Not only the acceptance of all sexual orientations, but, as David Whyte treats it in his book The Three Marriages, also the marriage with one’s work and the marriage with one’s own Soul. All three will be given ample exercise in the June that awaits me and I’m happy to greet them all.

Happy June!

PS to yesterday's blog: Today the sun came out, the sky was blue, the sea was sparkling, the grass was…well, brown. But still. San Francisco's the best city in the world! 

But still don't move here if you're rich.