Held by Water, Guided by Light: A Summer Solstice Reflection
- Charlene Lord
- Jun 20
- 3 min read
Summer solstice reflection, grief & healing at the water, Barbados healing journey, ancestral restoration, botanical herbal tea blends, BWPC tea blends, summer solstice meaning, healing through nature and plants
The Summer Solstice has always felt like a threshold — a moment where the sun lingers a little longer, inviting us to pause, breathe, and take inventory of what we're carrying. This year, that invitation felt especially tender.
Over the past few months, I've been moving through a season of deep grief and unexpected joy, of returning and releasing, of softening and strengthening. And as the longest day of the year arrives, I find myself reflecting on what it means to be held by water and guided by light — both in Barbados and within myself.
🌊 Returning My Father to Land & Water
Earlier this year, I returnd my father's remains back to the land and water in Barbados — the place that shaped him, the place that shaped me. I prioritized grieving and embraced moments of joy, wholeheartedly, allowing myself to feel everything without rushing the process.
There is something particularly cathartic about grieving while you're at the water.
Placing your feet in the ocean, letting the waves move around you — it's as if the water carries away your greif, piece by piece, without asking you to let go before you're ready.
Barbados was not an escape.
It was an activation of restoration.
🌿 A Week of Solitude in Barbados
After returning my father to the sea, I stayed in Barbados for a week of solitude — a reset held by the same land and water that witnessed my grief. I let myself be quiet. I let myself by guided by the rthym of the waves, the sway of the palms, the familiar scents of the land drifting through memory and lineage.
In that stillness, I kept returning to a quote that has been guiding me:
"I release what I cannot control and trust the present." — Nico Marie
Those words became a mantra, a grounding, a gentle reminder that surrender is not weakness — it's wisdom.
🌼 Soft Launching My Botanical Herbal Tea Blends
This season also brought a new beginning for BWPC.
At the Sip & Soul Wellness Market on June 14, 2026, I soft-launched my botanical herbal tea blends — a dream rooted in lineage, ritual, and the quiet ways plants support our bodies and spirits.
The response was beautiful.
Affirming.
A reminder that this path I'm walking — guided by the plants, guided by my ancestors — is aligned.
If you want to be the first to know about new blends, workshops, and offerings, I invite you to sign up for the BWPC newsletter.
Community is at the heart of everything I do, and I'd love for you to be part of this next chapter.
🌞 What the Summer Solstice Means to Me
For me, the Summer Solstice is a moment of illumination — a time to honour what has grown, what is growing, and what still needs tending. It's a reminder that even after seasons of heaviness, the light returns.
It asks us to reflect.
To release.
To root deeper into ourselves.
And I also want to know:
What does Summer Solstice mean to you
What are you releasing
What are you calling in
What light are you ready to step into
Share with me — I'd love to hear how this season is unfolding in your life.
🌿 Closing
This Solstice, I'm choosing presence.
I'm choosing joy without guilt.
I'm choosing grief without shame.
I'm choosing restoration as a birthright, not a luxury.
And I'm choosing to keep walking this path — with the plants, with my ancestors, and with this community.
Thank you for being here.
Thank you for growing with me.
Thank you for witnessing this chapter of becoming. 💜
Rooted in gratitude,
Charlene
Black Woman Plant Chronicles
Cultivating Connection Through Plants & Herbs