Went camping on the weekend with friends we’ve known since Bea was a baby. Stayed up too late, saw my breath in the night air, watched our big kids ride bikes all over the campground and witnessed the transition from summer to fall on the autumnal equinox.
The light is drawing away now, and we are drawing in. I’m drinking hot lemon and ginger in the morning. We had elderberry syrup simmering on the stove last week. The tomato vines are dying back and many leaves are dull and dusty with powdery mildew. I’m sure the rain will start up again soon, but for now we’re enjoying dry, crisp fall days.
I don’t know why, but a new season out there has made me more aware of a new season in my own life. We’re well out of the baby stage now, and pretty much out of toddler-ville too. There is a new space that I am getting accustomed to – going for a run in the early morning a few times a week, writing all day on Saturdays, sleeping through the night more often than not. For a while I was anxious to have another baby right away, and now I am just sitting with this space. Exhaling into it. Stretching my legs and exploring some possibilities.
There are so many different ways to live a happy life, but the best way is not always obvious in the moment. Then the light changes, the balance of light and dark shifts, the leaves bud out or gradually fall away. We find our path one step at a time.
I'm Michelle Carchrae, the mama in the vortex. I'm glad you're here!
