179. Park Spot

A listener shares a beautiful essay about her favorite park spot, and how it’s served her through different chapters of her life.

Transcripts may not appear in their final version and are subject to change.

Nora: I’m Nora McInerny, and this is It’s Going to be Okay, a daily podcast that is the opposite of a doom scroll.  Every day, we bring you an OK thing, something that makes us, our team, or you, our listeners, feel happy ish, even in the face of a lot of terrible things.

Listener voicemail: I’m fortunate enough to live in a pretty beach town in Southern California with no shortage of natural beauty.  In my town, there are quite a few beautiful parks, but the one that has become my favorite is called Cemetery Park.  It was the site of an actual cemetery until 1944, and there are still numerous people buried there, and their grave markers can be found all around the park. 

Over the years, this park has become my favorite place to go when I need to clear my head.  I have found what I think is the optimal place in the park, under this lovely tree that provides the perfect mix of shade and sun, where I have a gorgeous, sweeping view of the ocean, the pier, and the city.  It’s next to the grave of a woman named Louise, who died in 1918 when she was only 29 years old. 

She keeps me company as I read, journal, drink coffee, meditate, and think.  I go to my park spot when things in life are great, and I’m having a relaxing, wonderful day.  But I also go there when I’m going through really difficult things and need to be reminded of the beauty that is all around me.  I’d always gone to my sacred park spot alone,  but over the past few years, a wonderful man had come into my life who I was sure was going to be my partner in life for the long term. 

I brought him to my park spot a few times, since I wanted to be in that beautiful place with the man that I loved.  We would sit and talk and watch cute dogs run free in the park.  Months ago, that relationship ended suddenly and unexpectedly, leaving me absolutely heartbroken, sad, and feeling very alone. 

For the first time in a long time, I had let someone into my life completely and was able to trust that things would work out for me in a relationship.  But as I know all too well, sometimes things don’t work out as we want them to, and I’ve definitely had my share of heartbreak over the years.  The loss and grief were overwhelming, so I reached for all of my healing resources.

Therapy, meditation, yoga, journaling, spending time with my friends and family.  All I wanted was to feel like myself again.  To remind myself that I was still me, even if my relationship had ended.  After a few weeks had passed, I felt the need to get out of the house for some sunshine and immediately thought of my special park spot. 

I continued with my little ritual of stopping at my local coffee spot for a vanilla latte on my way to the park. Then I set up a blanket under my special tree. said hello to Louise as I always do, took off my shoes, got out a book to read, and took a deep breath while I gazed out at the vast ocean.  No matter how many things or people come and go in my life, no matter how many challenges I encounter, my park spot is where I can take a breath and let things go, where I can return to myself again and again. 

I can look out at the sparkling blue ocean, see the sailboats in the distance,  Feel the warmth of the sun on my skin and the breeze in my hair and know that I am enough That I can get through hard things  and that it’s going to be okay.

Nora: It’s Going to be OK is a production of Feelings Co. We are an independent podcast and feelings and co is an independent podcast production company. So you being here is Amazing a great way to support our show is to share it share it with whoever you think would like it Share it as much as you can rate and review it on Apple podcasts.

We’re a small show, we’re a small company, and we exist because of all of you. So thank you for being here. Our team is me, Megan Palmer, Claire McInerny, Marcel Malekebu, Amanda Romani, and Michelle Plantan. 

You can share your OK thing with us by emailing us, igtbo at feelingsand.  co.  I will read your OK thing for you, or you can record a voice memo and attach it to that email.

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