Points of Wellness

Living with the Seasons: Celebrating Milestones

August seems to be full of milestones.

My eldest niece turned 25 this week, and I’m celebrating my own birthday too. Kids are heading back to school, and some of my friends are watching their children leave for college for the first time.

Some milestones are big and obvious. Others are quieter, a new beginning, a goal reached, getting through something difficult, or simply realizing how far you’ve come.

I think sometimes we move so quickly from one thing to the next that we forget to stop and mark the occasion.

But these moments matter.

Life moves in seasons, and every season brings something worth remembering. So whatever is happening in your life right now, celebrate it. Take the picture. Have the cake. Make the dinner. Gather the people you love. Pause long enough to appreciate where you are before moving on to what comes next.

Because one day, these ordinary moments become the milestones we look back on.

Celebrate well. Be grateful. And honor the season you’re in this second of living.

Living with the Seasons
Old Friends, New Seasons
This weekend, I spent time with girlfriends I have known since high school. We took a cooking class together, making pasta, laughing, talking, and catching up on all the years between then and now.
There is something special about being with people who knew you in another season of your life.

They knew the younger version of you, the girl before careers, responsibilities, families, losses, successes, and all the experiences that eventually shape us into the women we become.

And now, here we are in our 50s.

We aren’t the same girls we were then. Our lives have taken different paths, and each of us has changed in ways we probably never could have imagined back in high school.

But somehow, when old friends come together, pieces of those younger selves return too. The laughter feels familiar. The stories come easily. And for a little while, the years between then and now don’t seem quite so long.

Maybe that is one of the gifts of growing older: realizing that friendships don’t always have to remain constant to remain meaningful. Some people walk beside us every day. Others disappear for years and then find their way back into our lives.

Like the seasons, friendships can change, rest, return, and bloom again.
And sometimes all it takes is a table, some flour, a rolling pin, and a few old friends to remind us how far we’ve come.

Honoring the people who knew us then and getting to know who we’ve become now.

Living with the Seasons
This weekend I spent time with college friends who have become family over the years.
For two days we wandered through Chinatown, shared hot pot, discovered a wonderful mango dessert, laughed until our cheeks hurt, and spent time at Lollapalooza. Surrounded by music, we watched thousands of people, many just beginning their own seasons of life.
What struck me most wasn’t the festival itself. It was realizing how much our conversations have changed.
In our twenties, we talked about careers, relationships, and where life might take us.
Now, in our fifties, we talk about our parents, our health, retirement dreams, and how precious time together has become.
One of our dear friends is facing cancer. Her courage reminded all of us that none of us knows how many summers we are given. We didn’t spend the weekend dwelling on illness. Instead, we celebrated friendship, created new memories, and promised not to let another year pass before gathering again.
As I grow older, I’m grateful not only for friendships that have lasted decades, but also for the new friendships that continue to enter my life. Our hearts never lose their capacity to welcome new people, no matter the season.
Perhaps this is one of the quiet gifts of growing older.
We begin to understand that life’s greatest treasures aren’t extraordinary events, but ordinary moments shared with people who have walked beside us through many seasons, and those who are just beginning to share the journey.
This weekend reminded me that every season has something to teach us. Youth brings possibility. Midlife brings perspective. Family and friendship make every season richer.
Here’s to family, old friends, new friends, and making time for the people who matter most.
—
Living with the Seasons
Dr. Anh Tran, L.Ac., M.S.O.M.
Points of Wellness Acupuncture

Living with the Seasons

This weekend I took my mom to the farmers market.

She wandered through the flower stands with the same excitement she always has, carefully choosing a bouquet to brighten her home. Sometimes the simplest mornings become the ones we remember most.

One flower that always catches my eye is the marigold. In many Buddhist traditions, marigolds are offered as a symbol of generosity, gratitude, and the reminder that life is always changing. Their brilliant colors don’t last forever, which makes them even more beautiful.

As summer begins to wind down, I’ve started collecting marigold seeds for next year. It’s a small ritual I enjoy, saving a little of this season so it can bloom again.

I’m hoping to collect enough seeds to share with anyone who would like to plant them next spring. It feels like a simple way to pass along a little beauty and a little hope.

Nature has a wonderful way of teaching us that every season eventually returns. Sometimes all we have to do is save a few seeds.

—
Living with the Seasons
Dr. Anh Tran, L.Ac., M.S.O.M.
Points of Wellness Acupuncture

Living with the Seasons

This week I gave myself a simple gift.

An hour-long walk.

No destination.
No earbuds.
No rushing.

Just quiet.

The lake was still. A kayaker drifted across the water while the trees swayed gently in the breeze. For an hour, I simply walked and noticed what was around me.

The Japanese have a practice called Shinrin-yoku, often translated as forest bathing. It isn’t about hiking farther or exercising harder. It’s simply spending time among the trees and allowing nature to quiet the mind.

As I walked, I realized that’s exactly what I needed.

Not another task to finish.
Not another appointment.
Not another notification.

Just space to breathe.

As an acupuncturist, I often remind my patients that healing isn’t always something we add. Sometimes it’s something we allow.

Sometimes the most restorative thing we can do is step outside and let nature do what it has quietly done all along.

Reflection

Where is the place you go when you need to reset?

Living with the Seasons

Summer has always been the season for cooling desserts.

This week, this is what I had in my kitchen.

Like many traditional recipes, every Asian family has their own variation. Some add lotus seeds, red dates, grass jelly, or different fruits. This is the version I made this week with ingredients I had on hand.

It includes coconut water, longan, almond jelly with collagen, peach gum, snow mushroom, ginkgo seeds, basil seeds, chia seeds, and a splash of soy milk, served cold.

In Chinese medicine, many of these ingredients have been enjoyed for generations during the warmer months. Snow mushroom and peach gum are traditionally valued for supporting hydration and are often included in desserts believed to help keep the skin looking soft and radiant. Coconut water is naturally refreshing, while basil and chia seeds add fiber and a fun texture.

One of the things I love about seasonal cooking is that it changes with what is available. No two bowls are exactly alike, and that’s part of the tradition.

For me, this bowl isn’t just dessert.

It’s a reminder that food can nourish more than our bodies. It can connect us to our culture, the seasons, and the simple joy of making something with our own hands.

Reflection:

Does your family have a favorite summer dessert or recipe? I’d love to hear about it.

Living with the Seasons

One of my favorite parts of summer is walking out to the garden before dinner to pick fresh herbs.

This year I noticed something interesting. The perilla growing among the flowers has hardly been touched by insects, while the herbs growing by themselves seem to have become a favorite meal for every bug in the neighborhood. Nature has a way of creating its own balance.

Growing up in a Vietnamese family, herbs were never just decoration on the plate. They were part of the meal. Tonight’s spring rolls will be filled with lettuce, fresh tia tô (perilla), Thai basil, mint, and Chinese chives, most of them picked just minutes before dinner.

There is something deeply satisfying about harvesting what you’ve cared for and bringing it straight to the table.

Summer reminds us that abundance isn’t only measured by how much we have. Sometimes it’s measured by simple things: a handful of fresh herbs, flowers in bloom, vegetables from a local garden, and a meal shared with people we love.

What herbs are growing in your garden this summer? I’d love to hear what’s thriving where you live.

—
Living with the Seasons
Anh Tran, L.Ac., M.S.O.M.
Points of Wellness Acupuncture

Two hundred and fifty years.

That’s an incredible milestone for any nation.

Every day in my clinic, I have the privilege of caring for Veterans—men and women who have worn the uniform and carried the responsibility of protecting the freedoms many of us enjoy without a second thought. Their stories remind me that freedom has never been free. It has always required courage, sacrifice, and a willingness to serve something greater than ourselves.

This Independence Day arrives during a season when our country feels divided. We won’t always agree with one another, and that’s nothing new. Our history has seen difficult chapters before. Yet through each generation, Americans have continued the work of building, healing, and moving forward together.

As a healthcare provider, I see healing every day. Healing doesn’t happen by pretending wounds don’t exist. It begins by acknowledging them, treating them with compassion, and giving them the time and care they need.

Perhaps our country is no different.

As we celebrate 250 years of independence, may we remember the sacrifices that brought us here, express gratitude to those who continue to serve, and choose kindness, respect, and hope in our daily lives. Small acts of service:toward our families, our neighbors, and even strangers, are what strengthen a community.

Wishing everyone a safe and meaningful Fourth of July.

And to all of the Veterans I have had the honor of treating: thank you. Your service continues to inspire me every day.

Happy Independence Day.

Some gifts simply make you smile.

One of my patients surprised me with this adorable red panda wearing a custom acupuncture shirt—and I absolutely love it! ❤️

It’s not the cost of a gift that makes it meaningful. It’s knowing someone took the time to think of you and create something uniquely personal.

The little shirt was custom made by his veteran-owned business, CAJE Dee-zigns, and the attention to detail is amazing. Even the tiny design on the shirt perfectly captures the fun side of what I do every day in the clinic.

As healthcare providers, we’re fortunate to meet incredible people from every walk of life. Sometimes those relationships extend beyond treatment, and moments like this remind me why I love what I do.

Thank you for your kindness, your generosity, and for making me laugh every time I see this little panda sitting in my office.

If you’re looking for custom apparel, gifts, or personalized creations, please consider supporting this veteran-owned small business:

CAJE Dee-zigns
Lee Drane
📍 Kenosha, Wisconsin
📧 [email protected]
📞 847-302-9791

Supporting small businesses—especially veteran-owned businesses—is one way we can give back to those who continue to serve our communities.

Thank you again for such a memorable gift. My new little clinic mascot has already found a permanent home.

Living With the Seasons

This week, I finally made it to my local farmers market.

The first one of the season.

Tables were overflowing with asparagus, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh flowers. Everything seemed to announce that summer had truly arrived.

The sunflowers were more expensive than I expected.

The vegetables weren’t the cheapest either.

But they had been grown just a few miles away.

There is something different about eating food that has been nurtured by the same sun, the same rain, and the same season we are living in.

Perhaps that is part of wellness too.

Not chasing perfection.

Simply becoming more connected to the place we call home.

This week, I brought home fresh vegetables, bright sunflowers, and a quiet reminder that every season offers something worth gathering.

Reflection:

What are you gathering from this season of your life?

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