Exactly this, my entire first year of divorce: “My urge to walk felt instinctive, blind, urgent, even angry – like a spiky tulip tip that only knows that it has to push and push hard, through darkness towards warmth.”
I love the concept of forest bathing! Also Superb Owls... I legit laughed out loud at this on the train. Please pass my punpreciation to your husband. 😂
I love them so much too! Right now we are in the “awakening of the insects” season, according to my app. The time when hibernating and cocooned creatures bust out of stasis and become whatever they are meant to be next. Pretty symbolic...
Thank you for writing this beautiful reflection. I love the resources you've included here. You've cultivated the courage to create something meaningful to share out of your pain, for which I'm grateful. 💗
I love all of this so much and am so glad that AHP connected us. I'll be saving this one to come back to in February when I'm guessing I'll be quoting you in my yin class all month long.
I am all about wintering these days. It’s a new concept for me. As you said, “It’s easy, in loss, to follow this cultural conditioning instead of your own instinct – to look to action and planning as the solution for sadness instead of to slowness.” The past two years, I kept busy to mask my grief. Now I have finally stopped everything else and I’m writing about it.
I wanted to thank you, Ryan, for connecting me with RTZ Hope. I joined the Recurrent Loss & Infertility group that started this week, and it is already helping me feel less alone. I am planning to attend your workshop later this month!
While I’m heartbroken about the reasons why we need organizations like RTZ Hope, I’m absolutely thrilled to hear you’ve connected with a group that feels like home to you, Liz. I’m so excited to see you in the workshop as well!
I’m also glad that we’re building another home here in this space, to stop and warm up together during our wintering and writing seasons -- also so much better with company.
This is beautiful. I’ve worked with seasonality literally and metaphorically in my work and with clients for a long time. A few years ago, after not heeding the wintering I deeply needed, I hit a burn out that forced me into a long, intentional rest that was excruciating and deeply needed. I have a whole new relationship with the need for this season, especially in times loss.
Exactly this, my entire first year of divorce: “My urge to walk felt instinctive, blind, urgent, even angry – like a spiky tulip tip that only knows that it has to push and push hard, through darkness towards warmth.”
I love the concept of forest bathing! Also Superb Owls... I legit laughed out loud at this on the train. Please pass my punpreciation to your husband. 😂
YES to Superb Owls! My husband is not a dad (yet) but has been honing his dad-jokes for years, and this is one he’d really appreciate.
Talk of Superb Owls has now taken over my house as we follow the journey of Flaco the Owl here in NYC...have you all read this delightful Michiko Kakutani piece about him? https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/03/nyregion/flaco-owl-central-park-nyc.html
In any case, I’m bracing myself for more puns in these pages now that you all have been kind enough to praise my husband for them... stay tuned! 🦉
Pun away!
Flaco is a Superb Owl indeed!
And omg these Japanese mini seasons - LOVE
I love them so much too! Right now we are in the “awakening of the insects” season, according to my app. The time when hibernating and cocooned creatures bust out of stasis and become whatever they are meant to be next. Pretty symbolic...
Thank you for writing this beautiful reflection. I love the resources you've included here. You've cultivated the courage to create something meaningful to share out of your pain, for which I'm grateful. 💗
Thank you so much for your kind words, Mariah, and for reading.
I love all of this so much and am so glad that AHP connected us. I'll be saving this one to come back to in February when I'm guessing I'll be quoting you in my yin class all month long.
Oh my goodness, that is extremely high praise! So very glad to connect 💚
I am all about wintering these days. It’s a new concept for me. As you said, “It’s easy, in loss, to follow this cultural conditioning instead of your own instinct – to look to action and planning as the solution for sadness instead of to slowness.” The past two years, I kept busy to mask my grief. Now I have finally stopped everything else and I’m writing about it.
I wanted to thank you, Ryan, for connecting me with RTZ Hope. I joined the Recurrent Loss & Infertility group that started this week, and it is already helping me feel less alone. I am planning to attend your workshop later this month!
While I’m heartbroken about the reasons why we need organizations like RTZ Hope, I’m absolutely thrilled to hear you’ve connected with a group that feels like home to you, Liz. I’m so excited to see you in the workshop as well!
I’m also glad that we’re building another home here in this space, to stop and warm up together during our wintering and writing seasons -- also so much better with company.
Yes indeed, what a lovely home we are building here on Substack, with the most excellent company!
This is beautiful. I’ve worked with seasonality literally and metaphorically in my work and with clients for a long time. A few years ago, after not heeding the wintering I deeply needed, I hit a burn out that forced me into a long, intentional rest that was excruciating and deeply needed. I have a whole new relationship with the need for this season, especially in times loss.