Rest
Rest. It’s a tough one to be told, well, for me at least. But at this time of the year we have some little windows of opportunity for true, deep rest. Rejuvenating, resetting, quiet, simple, still, rest. It’s a funny one isn’t it, in the summer we feel like we’re able to stretch out and be still, basking in the sunshine but I see the difference in the time of year as quiet a poignant difference. Summer for me feels like active-rest, a rest which fills your senses with abundant sun, smiles and heart filling joy. Winter though is different, it’s a nourishing quiet kind of rest, less heart filling, more soul-filling. We need the two types of rest to balance each other at the peaks of the seasons.
I’m always caught out at this time of year, in my mind I feel like Mother Nature has paused life to turn her attention to preserving and protecting, there are still reminders that the earth is still very much living. As I walk around the woodland, the obvious signs of winter are there to see; the bare branches, brown crumpled ferns and bitterly cold wind whipping my cheeks. But the signs of nature doing her beautiful thing are there too, subtly just doing their magical thing.
As the blackbirds and robins scuffle amongst the mosses looking for tasty treats, they uncover snowdrops beginning to poke through. I love to think of this symbiotic relationship. The birds in their search for grubs uncover the little shoots of green, leaving patches of earth free from debris and clear to find the sun. The snowdrops then shoot towards the light and beautifully bloom. In my mind though, this happens in the new year… so each December when I spot a tiny bud of green poking through I’m always pleasantly surprised.
And those magnificent trees around us. Dormant? Yes. But still very much alive. Their little buds emerging at the end of the branches making identifying them a little easier. Look for the black buds of the ash tree, the knobbly twigs of the oak and big sticky buds of the horse chestnut. As the hazel catkins start to drop, we too will start feeling the days lengthening, not quite spring but enough to lift our spirits.
For now though, it’s time to rest. To dream of new adventures, to plan for the garden and reimagine our outdoor spaces. As we come out of the busy yule period, these deep dark wintry days allow us the opportunity to hibernate just a little while longer. Pay thanks to the year gone by, remember your wonderful adventures and dream of the year to come.
