Follow-up to WATERmeditation with WATER Interns
Wed Naji and Magdalena Müller
“Goodness, Hope, and the Taste of Summer”
Monday, July 7, 2025, 7:30 PM ET
Wed Naji and Magdalena Müller prepared a meditation to remember the goodness of summer, inviting us to think about and share stories and memories of our childhood summers that we hold dear. They promised it would be ‘epic’ and proclaimed it was by the very presence of each and every one!
The video can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXNIynYlkW4
Last month, we heard from Cynthia Tootle who led us through a guided meditation that she crafted. It was a powerful experience for many. WATER thanks her for her inspiring leadership and we look forward to her next offering.
The video can be found at: https://youtu.be/l6Z3Hellr-4?si=P9pey7wpuc7jzEmh
Cynthia also recorded some additional guided meditations that can be found at https://www.waterwomensalliance.org/meditation-by-cynthia-tootle/.
Following our customary Land Acknowledgement, Mary introduced the speakers:
–Magdalena Müller is from the Thuringia region of the former East Germany. She graduated from George August University majoring in political science and English. She will enroll this fall in a master’s program in University College, Dublin studying European Politics and Policy. She comes to WATER from EIRENE International Christian Service for Peace, an ecumenical peace and development service based in Germany. Magdalena spent last year in Morocco with Eirene. She is now part of the DC group of the Brethren Volunteer Service, finishing in August after a fruitful year at WATER.
–Wed Naji, born in Yemen, graduated from high school last year in Bonn. She also comes to WATER from EIRENE and is with the Brethren Volunteer Service. Wed is interested in studying psychology and related topics this fall in Germany or the Netherlands. She is among our youngest ever interns, but is as mature, competent, and intelligent as any who have ever come through the door. She, too, will finish in August after a wonderful year at WATER.
WATER is grateful to both Magdalena and Wed for their many contributions to our common work.
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MEDITATION INPUT by Magdalena and Wed
Thank you all for joining us for our ‘epic’ meditation, as some people would claim. First of all, we would like to acknowledge all the support and wisdom that both of us got from this wonderful community. We have learned from the best, which includes truly each and every one of you!
Thinking back to our previous WATERmeditations, you have not once failed to continuously welcome us with open arms. Your love and continuing support have not gone unnoticed. We are grateful to have earned your trust enough for you to attend an intern-led meditation.
This meditation will be the last before WATER closes for summer break. Therefore, let’s remind each other what this summer is about!
We know that in all of our minds we are troubled thinking about all the crazy, inhumane, and ugly developments of our times. There is growing uncertainty and war in the Middle East and Europe. The world is watching governments abuse their power to create social injustice and chaos. The intense heat waves we have experienced in recent weeks are likely just the beginning — this may actually be one of the coolest summers we’ll have from now on. There are clearly things that are outside of our control that leave us concerned and helpless, but today let us concentrate on the things we can influence. Do not get overwhelmed by the endless challenges we are facing, but rather take it step by step, day by day.
Today, let’s acknowledge the positive happenings around us that are happening each day but are being overshadowed by fear, anger, and hate. Keep in mind your children, grandchildren, and friends who have graduated this summer. Be proud of them for achieving their educational goals. Be proud of yourself for supporting them along their journey. Think about the vibrant flowers you admire when you look outside at your garden or when you leave the house. Do you notice that more children are playing outside? This summer, we might be attending family reunions or weddings. These loud gatherings will be filled with hugs, laughter, and joy.
Even though there is hatred, struggle, and uncertainty, let’s choose to also focus on the good. The good that we bring into the world. The goodness around us and the optimism of the summer season.
Here are our stories about German summers at the end of the first decade of the two thousands:
(Magdalena) When I was a little girl, I remember being awfully jealous of families that had a pool in their backyard. The thought of being able to plunge into cold water at any given time of day (or night) sounded like ‘little me’s’ own version of heaven. So one day, my dad called my sister and me outside after setting up the sprinkler to water our grass. He gave each one of us a water hose and made us have a water fight to “help” him water our lawn. It wasn’t how I envisioned my cooling-off, however it was twice as fun and to be honest, the best experiences rarely happen exactly how we envisioned them beforehand, do they? Now, every sprinkler I see has me reminisce about summer on our lawn, chasing each other with a water hose.
(Wed) I remember making banana smoothies for my family in the summer. I smelled lavender on my balcony while sitting on the floor and listening to the radio all day. Every morning after breakfast, my brothers and I used mango juice leftovers to make juice ice cream. It never tasted necessarily good, but the thought of stopping our food experimentation would never cross our minds. Every weekend, we went down to the Netherlands and spent hours sitting on the swings at the beach–even jumping from the swings just to land on the ground with sand in our mouths, eager to do it again. Every one of these little unremarkable daily things in my childhood are now core memories.
We have already reached July. Weeks of summer have passed. What have you experienced so far? Close your eyes. Let’s go back a few summers.
- What is a summer activity you enjoyed as a child or adolescent?
- What summer activities do you enjoy today?
- Focus on your senses. What tastes, sounds, and smells do you identify with summer?
MEDITATION TIME
We warmly invite you to share what you thought, remembered, and meditated on in these last minutes.
SHARING
Participants were touched by this presentation, something that all of us can relate to even if our childhood summers were decades ago.
Among the reflections were these:
- A colleague from Jamaica recalled summer all year round on the island, but in the time of school vacations there were lots of family members in the house. It was fun!
- Another person spoke of picnics and fireflies, family vacations, and the surprises in nature that come with the season.
- One person spent summers on a lake where her family had a home. She loved jumping in the lake or floating in the water in the sun. Water has always been central to her life.
- A person spoke of family vacations as a child to Niagara Falls and Watkins Glen. Now she enjoys sitting on her own porch and enjoying her neighborhood.
- An Australian colleague reminded that for her it is now winter. She observed how wonderful it is to imagine the summer to come, including some her favorite flowers, the Hardenbergia.
- Babysitting at the beach was a great memory for another friend. She also looks forward to summer retreats that have been so valuable.
- The music of summer arose for one person. From campfire songs to outdoor music venues like Tanglewood and Wolf Trap, summer has its own sounds.
- One more person added the experiences of riding bikes into the evening, finishing off the fun with ice cream. She mentioned travel and service trips as part of her summer experiences.
WED AND MAGDALENA CONCLUDED
We would like to thank you all for supporting and guiding us these last months and giving us the courage and wisdom to continue to grow. Thank you all for being here with us these months and especially today. We greatly appreciate your participation and contributions. We wish you all the best for the future and we hope to see you again soon! When asked why our meditation is so epic there is no other answer than: It’s because of you–you make our meditations epic!
THANK YOU
WATER thanks Magdalena and Wed for this lovely meditation, this chance for all of us to think about our childhood summer and how we want to spend our summers now. We wish them a great end to their time in the U.S. and successful studies in the year ahead. Who knows, they might even join us for meditation!
WATER will be on recess for August. The next WATERmeditation will be on Monday, October 13, 2025, 7:30 PM. Mary E. Hunt will lead.
Have a great summer (or winter in the Southern Hemisphere) and we’ll see you then.
SUPPORT WED AND MAGDALENA, THE EIRENE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
WATER and EIRENE share the costs to enable volunteers and interns to have an enriching, safe, and organized year abroad. While intern stipends and living costs in the U.S. are paid for by WATER (upwards of $17,000 per intern), EIRENE covers pedagogical support, insurance costs, travel, and seminar costs in the U.S. and Germany. Every volunteer year abroad costs EIRENE more than $11,000 per person. Since EIRENE is a non-profit volunteer service, 55% of those costs are covered by German federal funding. But each EIRENE volunteer has to raise their share, $4,500, which is hard for young people who do not have regular jobs or families that can support them.
We invite you to help keep the work of international peace groups and volunteer services like EIRENE alive. Please make a donation for the interns’ share via PayPal or Zelle with the note: “Donation for Wed and Magdalena’s Service.”
PayPal:
https://paypal.me/WedYlvidaNaji?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US
Zelle: 2024998802
Please feel free to contact our interns with any questions.
Wed: wednaji22@gmail.com
Magdalena: magdalenam02@gmx.de
Thanks and good wishes as we continue our justice work.
