"Never listen to that madding crowd,
Never listen to that madding crowd,
NEVER listen to that madding crowd,
You will always be true if you follow your heart."
(Goldie, M.B.E.)
Hooray, we've made it through January! The days are noticeably getting longer, it has finally stopped raining here, and snowdrops, early crocuses and all sorts of buds and shoots are appearing giving hope of spring's warmth and new life being just around the corner.
As I have been creeping ever so slowly from my sense of hibernation and following the tentative approach of spring, I've been reading things that catch my eye and listening to the odd podcast. A theme that has appealed to me is the one that we are enough, just the way we are. There is no need, and personally I do not have the desire, to follow the crowd, to try and live up to others' expectations of what we should do, look like, feel like. Listening to our inner selves and what we truly desire is so much more important and powerful.
Perhaps it's my introverted nature that finds this sense of connection to self so appealing. I've always been more of a watcher than the kind of person who throws themselves into the midst of things. I'm oh so happy having a walk by myself, listening to the birds, reveling in the changes in light as the sun climbs higher in the sky and finds its way through branches to create dappled shadows. Working with our wool and learning the quiet magic of plant dyes and feeling connected to nature. These are the things that I love and need. They are not the things that other people need, but that is good. Life is so much more interesting when we can be ourselves and create contrasts rather than a homogeneous mass of sameness.
It is this sense of being yourself that I want to do my best to filter down to my children. The playground can be a difficult place for a young person to navigate; as can life itself for us adults. All I can hope for is that as they grow and develop, they will never be afraid to say no and will feel secure in themselves that they can follow their own dance, not knowing where the steps may take them, but having the strength to enjoy their journey even if they stumble, with the knowledge that those who care about them will be there to hold and embrace them with love, compassion and joy for who they are.
Wishing you all a wonderful February and the freedom to follow your heart.