Spring is inspiration for the soul - A winter weary soul, ready for the thaw of rebirth and inspiration. It is said, "Spring is a reminder of how beautiful change can truly be," an anonymous quote that most surely has been spread throughout the ages after weeks of layering on more and more to feel warmth and comfort. It all becomes heavy and we yearn for the light and lightness. We start to seek the light, looking for inspiration and refreshed mindsets. We seek to lift the layers and clear the spaces that start to be less cozy and more claustrophobic.
Here at the farmhouse, we yearn for new life and new beauty in our everyday. Ahh, but what that entails requires an open arms approach to change. Change is messy. Moving from frozen days to sun drenched days is not a quick and easy process. There's mud. Boot miring, sloggy mud. The kind of mud that follows you everywhere and even the gravel paths can mire you down. That's when change gets tricky and moving in on that change makes one pause and ask, "Is it worth it?"
Then, the remembrance of the season to come provides inspiration and the fortitude to keep shaking off the mud and solidly lean into the light and joy of spring and Easter. I feel this particular transition of seasons requires a more disciplined approach with hard decisions and the belief that shedding the layers will allow more life, more light and more love.
Our layers have served their purpose and protected us from the dark and cold of more than just weather. The winter season is coming to a close. I can feel it; and yet, I still want to hold on to my layers... Off and on, trying to discern if discarding is the right decision. What if... And even if the sun isn't dazzling, you know it will be as promised. Spring will come. So it is in all things. So it is in life and in the farmhouse. As the prospect of a fresh new season of change is waiting around the corner, I am inspired. Inspired to breathe fresh life into all that we do. I am ready to be released from the bonds of a frozen
winterscape.
And that's why the farmhouse is shedding layers, also. Winter weary floors for over 120 years are being replaced with a solid subfloor. The hand-hewn beams that have been the solid foundation and testament to the strength and skill of the original builders, are being reinforced. The old oak beams are stubborn, kinda like me... At first, they fought every screw; bending the metal and making things impossible to work. The pine boards, splintered with wear, gave easily and I could feel their weariness in my steps. It was time. But with every board, there was a memory attached; almost too much to bear. But, the promise of spring in the old farmhouse is the letting go - embracing the change for growth, renewal, and faith in light and love.
This old farmhouse has offered up so many lessons in living. Don't scrimp on good bedding, even if it means you sacrifice somewhere else. Set the table and use cloth napkins (we sometimes made ours and I admit to not hemming them always) and candles. Set aside one night for gathering together and spending the evening with each other and good music. Let the animals in to romp, allow the kids to ride their bikes and scooters through the hall, push back the table and dance. Those pine boards were creaking and groaning, but they withstood the time. I will be forever grateful that I didn't succumb to the pressure to take them out in the beginning. I could tell you where each board harbored a splinter that would catch your socks and the wide gaps that would hold crumbs from breakfast. Floor boards can be replaced, but family and memories endure. I am inspired by my humble floor to make the best of all of it, every day.
Celebrating the everyday and living an everyday good life is faith in action that even as darkness envelopes us, spring will come. When I started the January 'Lovely Surprise Box,' it was my way of breathing joy into the everyday to cozy up in preparation for hibernation. In February, I wanted to create a box built on love for all things. March is striding right in with change and inspiration. Finding inspiration is a creative endeavor that starts with just a seed of thought and germinates on its own timetable. Inspiration is a process and now as we are on the cusp of a season, I'm even more excited for our March Lovely Surprise. I think I created this project knowing it was time to focus outward and embrace change in this year.
Robin
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