It’s The Little Things
It’s here, it’s happened. The Summer of 2020 (what a year to date) is officially over and the next season of autumn is upon us. Schools are back open, there’s a chill in the air, the leaves are turning, growing is slowing down and crops are being harvested. It's time to take stock, to look back and reflect. Last weekend was the end of the summer cycle at Rooted Wings and looking back it. has. been. brilliant. At the time it was brilliant too and it still is now, which means it really must have been brilliant! More about that in a bit.
A phrase I hear slung around a lot ‘It’s the little things that count’, but now more than ever, it definitely is the little things that really do matter. All the little things of life; a hug, the last of the sweet peas, a comforting touch, a soft word whispered up close, dappled sunshine through the trees, a shared brew over a friend’s table have become so much more precious in these challenging times we’re in. I am so full of gratitude I got to do so many things that I love doing this last while, prior to this time I wouldn't have treasured them all so much as I do now.
Over the summer, I got to collaborate with the wonderful Lorna over at Kith Homestead and run four weeks of Wild Wings Camps. They were splendid. Full of curiosity, wonder, awe, fun, energy, joy and laughter. If you’re curious about them, all the photos and mini blogs are up and open for viewing on Lorna’s site. After camps, I got to be ‘Guardian of the Land’ at Kith Homestead (it sounds like a futuristic, dystopian movie title, right!!) while Lorna and her family were on holidays. It was glorious. A week full of hanging out with family and friends, running a session or two in a beautiful, wild space.
Primarily, what I love about what I do is the opportunity to create and hold a space in nature for children, adults and families to come and be. To connect with themselves a little more and to connect with nature, to exhale, refresh and recharge for the days, weeks and months that are ahead of us. I find nature to be so reassuring, so constant, especially bit old trees that have been around for centuries and stood through all the ups and downs and rollercoasters or human living. With a season of such unknowns ahead of us finding time to be in a natural space and feel the relentlessness, continuity and constancy of it is so grounding and focusing. I love doing this, inviting people to come into a natural space that offers rest and recharge.
One of the events I ran during that week was a women’s Wild Soul retreat afternoon and it was all kinds of wonderful. It was so refreshing to spend hours with like minded folk, chatting and sharing snippets of our lives over hot drinks, crafting, eating scones and s'mores in peace around the campfire and then really slow down with some mindfulness and quiet. We gave ourselves permission to put down our lists of jobs, the multiple worries that swirl around our heads and our ongoing juggling of life for the afternoon. It was blissful. Sometimes, the invitation and permission to put stuff down for a moment to realise, it wasn’t ours to carry anyhow and it can leave it there where it is. We also finished in our closing circle by being invited to share something that we were thankful for from the season just gone, something we are looking forward to and something we are letting go or a realisation we’d made over the course of the last while. It was a time of replenishing and relaxing. Exactly what was needed and a perfect way to sign off the summer season.
Here are some thoughts for us as we all head towards the year end cycle and towards a lot of unknown. Are there are somethings that you;
need to realise, bring to your conscious and let go of, things that actually aren’t yours to carry, stresses and strains that you don’t need to sort but somehow you are, resentment for someone or something you need to air and try to resolve, past hurts that need to be released so that healing can come. (none of which is simple)
can be consciously thankful for and grateful for and not just let them come and go in the hubbub of life. Turn off the autopilot and be thankful for a moment about them.
need to look forward to - the little things, not the big, obvious stuff but the small, seemingly insignificant things woven through the fabric of life that we would have taken for granted before these last 6 months. It could be a person you’re thankful for and you don’t tell them often enough.
If you’re sitting there reading this thinking, ‘yep, yep, that’s me’ - then you’re not alone. I’m totally in on this. Did you know that I have created an online face book group where we can gather and chat about life in a judgement free zone. I started it in lockdown as a way to gather. Over these last few weeks of lockdown breakout and summer it's been dormant. But, if you think you’d like to be part of it I’m considering rekindling it again. There’s something so reassuring about something continuous and constant throughout seasons, especially in this season of change and unknowns. Anyway, here’s the link come on over and join us, you’d be most welcome. It's a quiet group and there’s no obligation on you to do anything or contribute in any way that you don’t feel comfortable in doing. Sometimes just ‘being’ there is enough and all we need. After all, it's the little things that matter most.
Finally, what are the little things that you used to take for granted that you now notice, pause to take them in and treasure them? I'd love to see them. If you're a poster use the #noticepausetreasure so I and others can see and share them too. Collectively we can all be consciously be grateful together for the little things together. I'd love to have a hashtag to click on that's full of little treasured things to appreciate on a blue day.
Rachel x
