I heard from so many of you about January’s blog (Life is a Balance Between Holding On and Letting Go) that I thought I’d better continue on with that story as a lot has transpired since then (which explains why I missed a February blog).
A brief recap: My husband Joseph and I have taken steps toward a newly envisioned future which will include retirement (don’t worry, not for several years yet) and a co-housing development on our property here in Ashland. We are allowing ourselves to be “pulled by destiny, rather than pushed by fate” and not too long after writing about this game plan, we had our first Airbnb guest book our house for the month of March. In fact, we had two bookings take place on the same day – only two weeks before the first guests were due to arrive – so we had to crank up to full speed to get all the final touches done on getting our old, well-loved, well-lived in, house up to par for our guests. This involved a myriad of simple things like a new knob on the bathroom cabinet, to pretty major things like rewiring the upstairs bedrooms, as well as clearing out all of our personal items from closets and dressers and reworking our studio-office so that we have the comforts of home at our fingertips (ie: tea kettle, hot-plate, toothbrushes, family photos), and of course a thorough professional cleaning to make the house sparkle. It’s been an intense couple of weeks, not only for the physical and mental work of it, but for the emotional adjustments as well.
Even though we are the ones calling the shots and making the choices, the emotions of doubt, fear, loss, sadness, and concern are swirling in the mix (I am reminded just now how the feelings of fear and excitement are very similar, and sometimes we confuse the two). Joseph and I are incredibly lucky/blessed to have the stability of our relationship and the support of our daughters, friends, and of course my mother (tempted to say “sainted mother”, but will refrain from using that adage) seeing us through this phase of our life. I mean really – everything that actually matters is intact: we have love, food, comfort, and a roof over our heads, and our new “commute” to work is a full 250 steps (1.5 blocks). I am actually loving the separation of work and home which has not been the case for the past 20+ years. Still, there are the feels, but when I think of the income and the retirement plan, and the fact that all my needs are met, I easily return to a sense of calm and faith in the Holy Unknown.
All of this activity is in keeping with the turning of the seasons and the energy of the earth. February 1st, Imbolg, or St. Brigid’s Day, marked the beginning of Wood Element’s season of spring in the Celtic calendar, and March 21st will be the Vernal Equinox.
Though many locales may still be covered in snow, the earth and the cosmos are in a decidedly expanded, expressive, state of unfolding. All of those dreams, ideas, and plans that were gestating over the season of winter are bursting forth and becoming. It’s a season of youth, excitement and enthusiasm, synonymous with dawn, the morning star, and the east. Just as the dawn is the time of new light, so the vernal equinox is the time of new life. Remembering this during our time of transition brings my pulse into sync with the pulse of Nature.
