Here in the Southern Hemisphere, the days are growing longer. Summer is approaching, gardens are changing, and there’s a familiar sense that another year is drawing to a close.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, the days are growing shorter. Autumn is giving way to winter, and nature is preparing for a different rhythm.
I’ve been thinking about how we all move through the same calendar year, yet experience it in such different ways.
For some, this time of year brings excitement, anticipation and opportunities to reconnect with family and friends. For others, it may bring a sense of loneliness, uncertainty or the weight of expectations.
And for many of us, perhaps it’s a mixture of all these things.
There can be a quiet pressure around this time of year to finish what we’ve started, to celebrate achievements, to make plans, or to feel a certain way.
But what if our inner season doesn’t match the one unfolding around us?
I’ve been experiencing something of this myself lately. For practical reasons, I’ve had to temporarily pack away my creative space. And while I understand the reasons, I find myself missing those spontaneous moments of reaching for a brush, playing with colour, or simply allowing something to emerge without knowing where it might lead.
It’s reminded me that our lives have seasons too. Sometimes the things that nourish us need to take a temporary back seat, not because they’ve lost their importance, but because life is asking something different of us for a while.
Perhaps part of honouring our own rhythm is recognising these in-between times, without feeling that we must always be creating, producing or moving forward.
An original flow-inspired creation — layers of colour, texture and transparency, each revealing something of what lies beneath.
What if, while everything around us seems to be gathering momentum, we’re longing for a little stillness?
Or perhaps, while others are slowing down, we’re only just beginning to discover something new within ourselves.
I’ve come to appreciate that we each have our own rhythm. Our own seasons of growing, resting, exploring and becoming.
And perhaps belonging begins, at least in part, when we give ourselves permission to honour those rhythms rather than trying to fit into someone else’s.
As the year gradually draws towards its close, I wonder whether we might offer ourselves a little more space. Not necessarily to do more, accomplish more or become something different, but simply to notice where we are.
What season are you experiencing within yourself right now?
Is something new beginning to emerge? Is something asking to be released? Or are you simply longing for a little breathing space?
Whatever your answer, perhaps there’s room for it, just as it is.
I’d love to hear your reflections, if you feel like sharing.
Until our paths cross again,
Ruth
Flow-Inspired Creations — Where Belonging Begins Within