June: On Being Green....

June is my favourite month of the year. The colour green has a lot to do with that. I love seeing all of the beautiful shades of green as nature bursts forth with such verdant enthusiasm. Fresh colours not yet suppressed by the heat and dust of summer.

It turns out that spring leaves don't just look more green, they actually are. During new growth, chlorophyll, the green pigment responsible for photosynthesis, is the predominant influence on leaf colour. Young leaves are also more translucent, allowing the light to shine through the leaves making them brilliantly green. As the leaves mature, other pigments influence the colour of the leaf and the summer colours settle in.

Even for leaves, it's not easy being green.

When I first heard Kermit the Frog singing "It's Not Easy Being Green", the lyrics got stuck in my head and they are still there fifty-five years later. As I grew up and grew into myself, "It's not easy being green." became one of my favourite quotes. 

It's not easy being green, or being different. It doesn't matter what age you are, we all feel different and overlooked at times throughout our lives. Unfortunately, some people feel different or are made to feel different because they don't fit into other people's expectations. 

Kermit's song reminds us that green is "important like a mountain" and "beautiful" and in the end, "it's what [he/Kermit] wants to be."

Everyone struggles at some point with their sense of self and with trying to determine who they are. For those facing gender identity or sexual orientation questions, the struggle is not only dealing with their own thoughts and feelings, but also coping with the ideas and expectations of others. Facing family, friends, the church, schools, the medical community, government and the judicial system is overwhelming when you are different.

June is Pride Month. Supporting LGBTQ friends and family is not just something we celebrate thirty days of the year. It's a year round commitment. Being different is not easy. Being a friend should be. 

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Journaling #11: A Reading Journal

Have you ever thought about keeping a list of the books that you have read? If you have, then a reading journal is for you. Choose a notebook, pick a pen and get started. 

Recording the basic information about the books that you have read is a good place to start. Include things like title, author and publication information. You could also add information about when you read the book and possibly where you were (e.g.: on vacation, on the subway, in the backyard, etc.). Beyond that it’s up to you what other information you want to include. 
 
Some people like to record what they have learned from a book or how it has changed them. Others keep track of quotes from the book that they like. Some will include a brief plot summary. A review of the books that you have read is another possibility for a reading journal. You could also include whether you bought the book or borrowed it.
 
Creative responses can be part of your reading journal. Perhaps you like to doodle or draw. Go for it! Maybe you like stickers or maybe you like to experiment with watercolours. Adding your own personal artistic touches will really help to personalize your reading journal.
 
If you are into personal analysis, a reading journal can be part of your personal reflections on life. It can also be a great motivator if you want to read more. Best of all, remember that #readingisFUNdamental and who doesn’t want more fun in life?

• Cupola Corner sells a selection of handmade and handbound journals that would be perfect for the Three-minute Mental Makeover.

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