Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought:
So the darkness shall be the light,
and the stillness the dancing.
— T.S. Eliot
As I write this, a banditry of chickadees (that’s their plural noun!) is ravaging our bird feeder. They fly back to their little hollows in the trees, storing piles of food for later, because they know they’ll need this nourishment to sustain themselves.
This year has stripped us bare and brought us into our depths. Now we’re in the season of stillness: the time after things have ended, and before things begin.
What has sustained your spirit this year?
It’s a good time to make a list of what nourishes your soul, and make sure you have enough of it.
Here’s my list:
My writing group, and our daily Zoom church
Voxer and Whats App chats with friends
Mary Lattimore on Spotify
The Enneagram
The teachings of Ruth King and Resmaa Menakem
Taking really, really good care of my plants
This podcast with Jonathan Goldstein
Removing the Instagram app from my phone
This beet, oat, and prune smoothie by Anna Jones
Non-linear time
Lemon zest, in everything
Jillian Michaels’ fitness app
The OA (on Netflix)
Canoeing and camping
Sparkly fountain pen ink
Paperblanks journals
Stickers
Talking and listening to trees
Getting reading glasses
My tarot deck
Watching and mapping the moon, the stars, and the planets
Tasting and appreciating new varieties of these locally-roasted coffee beans
Cooking with the wild herbs and weeds that grow in my yard
Reading N. K. Jemisin, Naomi Novik, V. E. Schwab, Charlotte Wood, and Nnedi Okorafor
This song by Toni Jones
My word of the year: acceptance
My wish for the new year:
That we have time and permission to feel quiet, even for just one part of every day.
That we learn how to accept stillness, so we can rest, release, and restore our spirit.
And that we all receive more of what sustains us.
love,
Photo credit (top): Ellen Jantzen, To Time and Life, from eyebuyart.com
What sustained my spirit this year.
My list:
I read a lot of books, all genres
One I found inspiring called – Don’t sweat the small stuff by: Richard Carlson
Listening to music always cheered me up
Playing with sons
latch hooking kits
learning to knitt
Drawing with my 7 year old
Learning a new language (Spanish)
Teaching my 3 year old French while relearning it. I use Duolingo app for myself. Flash cards and Youtube for my son
Taking a online librarian course
Relaxing by our fireplace and drinking my coffee every morning
Zoom meeting with family
Party app with Friends
Walking my dog or Going to dog park
Taking care of my plants
Playing board games with my husband
Baking
Trying out new recipes
Adult coloring books
Word searches
I even tried adult maze books
Yoga
My punching bag
Treadmill
LOVE and friendship, conversation, nature, outdoors, time outside, writing, reading, painting, art, trees, birds, flowers, meditation, poetry, camping, walks, photography, beauty, celebration, silence, my husband, my children, my grandchildren, giving gifts. and so much more. <3 🙂
What has enriched my life and energy in 2020?
Morning meditation and prayer
Journal writing
Family especially great grand baby Riley & parents who live with us
My loving husband Tom
Helping granddaughter with school and drinking tea with her
Writing my blog
Conversations with friends
Walking the trails close to home
Ice Capps from Tim Hortons
What has sustained your spirit this year?
– Doing “The Artist’s Way” with a group of wonderful ladies that became new friends
– Being able to share an hour once a week with them over Zoom
– Cooking healthy and tasty food every day all year for myself and my family
– Helping my daughter with her school work
– Taking care of our home and garden
– Finding beauty in small things
– Writing in my journal in the mornings
– My Thursday morning writing group
– Playing piano
– Teaching online
– Creating a new loving, lasting relationship with my partner
– Making nice plans for the future