One of my biggest frustrations with people generally is what I call 'Back in the day syndrome'... the clinging to history, to what used to be, entrenched, ingrained, inability to move on, evolve, grow, change.
I love the changing seasons, life cycles, caterpillar to butterfly, marking time, embracing change. Don't mourn the fallen petals, celebrate the ripening of seeds meaning life carries on.
It does mean I am a bit of a sucker for anniversaries and marking time passing. I can take pleasure in the spotting of a new grey hair or wrinkle around an eye. I certainly don't wish life away but I do get a kick out of celebrating us all circling the sun and another year passing.
Yesterday we realised it was the third anniversary of us arriving at our very first WWOOF host and we looked back at some photos and reminisced about it. About how what could have quite fairly been termed a bit of a whim actually turned into a serious lifestyle change and led us to where we are now. Today a friend linked to a youtube clip of the children and I participating in a bubble blowing event celebrating Home Education and being interviewed by the local news from five years ago.
I've been away from the croft a lot this week with various community responsibilities, we had our monthly residents meeting, I did a couple of shifts at the post office.
We lost a goose this week. It is a fact of animal keeping that the more animals you have the more you will lose. We are pretty sure Barbara Pig is pregnant. We have collected chicken, duck and goose eggs. My Dad always says that the only thing which is certain in life is that you will die; everything inbetween is a combination of luck, fate and a bit of what you make it.
This week we have been particularly proud of Davies and Scarlett for their self reliance. We were held up one evening in the village and arrived home later than planned to find they had jkept the log burner going, carried out the evening routines of drawing curtains and clearing condensation, turned on the generator and so on. I commented to Ady that actually if we'd never come back up the hill they could have survived - they know how to carry out all of the essential tasks to keep our home and business ticking over - pretty impressive for an 11 year old and a 13 year old.
The winds of change are whistling around Rum just now which is in turn both unsettling and exciting. If our particular personal journey has taught us anything it is to embrace, engage with and go along for the ride.
I like to reminisce, but not in a way that holds me back. I like to revel in 'back in the day' but only when it helps to build me up for the future ~ there's definitely stuff that's better left in the shadows! I can't say I share you excitement over the all-to-rapidly passing years, but I do enjoy the changing seasons ~ of nature and of 'life'. Our children are growing up ~ and I love all that that brings, but with a hesitancy that makes me want to be sure we squeeze every lovely last drop out of their childhood!
ReplyDeleteIt's a tug of love sometimes for me, but ultimately I think 'embrace the future' wins over most times!