Nature DGAF About Summer Plans

Rewilding Mind

Hi there, it’s Hillarie! Rewilding Mind is a reflection on nature and the mindset needed to develop a relationship with it. It’s a calming read to help you slow down, be present, and find wonder in the mundane. Read on for my big ideas on to returning to nature, finding ourselves, and creating community. 💚

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Hi friends,

Welcome to summer 2022! Here in the PNW, the weather is giving me late April, early May, and it’s a bit of a bummer. The summers here are usually magnificent, so I feel a little disappointed after doing my time with the grey skies. Haven’t we earned a bit of sunshine? Does nature not care about my cute summer ensembles that are collecting dust in my closet??

Truth is: we have not earned anything and she doesn’t care about my adorable garden outfits. And she’s never apologetic. She will take as long as she needs to transition into her new state of being. Summer breaks are not ours. We are merely here to witness to the wisdom and creative capacity of nature to maintain equilibrium.

It is a daily practice to remember that this is not about me or my wants. This is about me not recognizing my own place in the natural order of things and believing that we ever had control over our weather. It is about our collective inability to see how our lifestyles and assumptions about how the world operates are so deeply flawed. It is about us no longer being attuned to the sources of our being that connect us all together and to this earth.

So instead of complaining and feeling entitled to warm weather, I have been trying to listen. I listen to the singing birds in the morning, overjoyed that the rain has brought an abundance of worms and insects. Their joy is also contagious. I listen to the rustling of grasses that shush in the wind, easing my anxious thoughts. I sit in the forest and listen to the rain pelt down through the canopy of trees. In those moments, it feels like I am soaking up nature’s heartbroken tears and all I have the power to do is be present with her. I also know that nature is resilient af and will always heal the damage we have so carelessly caused. Maybe not in our lifetimes, but nature always finds a way.

Beyond weather, it has been a challenging few weeks of work and life. The state of transition is in full affect all around me and I have been trying to hold on to lessons from nature to remain grounded. I’ve been planning to leave my job for a while, but not sure when or how it would happen. Last week my fatigue hit a new high and I quit. It just didn’t feel worth it any longer, and I wanted to bet on myself for the first time in my life.

Even though I am hopeful about the future, leaving my corporate identity feels like a cruel break-up. I am walking away from a part of me that I have shaped and honed for so long. I’m leaving behind what I thought was safety and stability for something new and unknown. In that wake, are many people who see what I am doing as too risky and uncertain. They are not wrong, but with uncertainty comes possibility.

So over the weekend, I put all my energy towards channeling peace and calm. This meant spending as much time outside as possible. I stood around my garden for hours taking in the subtle growth of my plants; I hiked around the forest with my ducks; and spent a full day touring a few gardens in the area with my family. It was magical and every minute felt like a soothing balm and a reminder that this is what is real and true in this lifetime.

The longer I spent being present with nature, the more I saw the steady state of transition taking place all around me in big and small ways. Purple peonies in my front yard faded to a deep red as the petals fell to the ground. Piles of pulled weeds broke down into nutrients to feed the soil. Woodpeckers and other migratory birds have started to return here to their summer homes. Though all of these things were changing, none them faced the changes with fear or anxiety. It simply was.

Through it all, I am reminded to remain present and be easy on myself as I work through any fear and uncertainty. Nature has already provide all that we need, so I am looking to her to help me feel whole again. I am leaning into friends, family, and community who believe in a more hopeful future where we love and honor ourselves, and this earth. Transition is hard, but it is the only thing that is certain. The best thing we can do is allow space and recognize that life is always about being in a state of becoming.

Now tell me: How has nature helped you work through transitions in your own life? What lessons from nature keep you grounded in times of change?

Enjoy your week and may you find peace in the wild things. Please take care, be kind, and talk soon,

Hillarie