I slip my feet into the black sandals which sit by the door to the patio. I step outside - shady, slightly overcast. The wind carries a chill, but it’s not cold.
I could make a coffee, maybe bring it outside…or I could write…
I don’t really know what I want.
I cross the lawn, yellowed from the drought, to the vegetable patch. Cucumbers stalled, spinach bolted, onions lagging. Everything on pause.
A bumblebee buzzes past my ear on my right side, settling into a slightly wilted cucumber blossom. He feeds, pollen dusting along his back. As quickly as I notice him, he is gone, heading for the tomatoes. I follow.
I should have brought a coffee…I could sit out here…maybe I’ll need to go back for a cardigan...why is nothing growing?
The sun emerges from behind a cloud, warming the skin on my shoulders. I kneel. As I lift a vine to inspect it, a blush of orange peeks through the foliage. I look deeper, as more and more flecks of colour reveal themselves. Subtle, yes, but a gentle relief - a reminder that among the still, life grows.
That she continues to evolve regardless of circumstance.
I wrote this short piece this morning, reflecting on the similarities I share with my own garden.
I am at a point in my life where I am blessed with the opportunity to slow down - the life of a stay at home mother is busy, of course, but the nap times and post-bedtime moments are quiet. They present opportunities for self-reflection, and for decision making. How do I want to spend my time today? How should I spend my time today?
I am not sure who I am, or who I want to be. Within the vastness of opportunity, I stand at an indefinite crossroad.
Life feels as though it is on pause.
And yet, I grow.
“And yet I grow”—I love this! Such beautiful writing!
I really loved this short but sweet read, Georgia. I think we can take so much inspiration from nature and the similarities we have with it.
I also loved how you spoke about growing in the stillness. Too often we think that our own personal growth is stunted when not much else is going on, but we all evolve - slowly but surely, day by day.
Thanks for writing this! 🫶🏽💗