Nature teaches us patience, and emerging when the time is right. Trust her expertise. Condolences to you and your family, and best wishes for new projects when they are ready to come to the light!
Thank you for summoning the energy to write from a deep place. Grief is so hard to express, but your description of nature in February felt like a metaphor for it.
Condolences for your gran, and shared gratitude for her long wonderful life. My grandmother, my mother's mother, also died at 103, in February 2024, also peacefully in her bed, surrounded by two of her children. She was clear of mind until the end. Lives like theirs seem to me wonders of the natural world.
“the future we need also desperately needs us” — that is so lovely and true. I am deeply sorry for the loss of your beloved grandma, and pet rabbit, and the neighbour’s cat. Take all the time you can and need to process things — as you certainly have through your post. You have all the love to keep powering through.
Whew. You, too, know challenge. (Of course.) It helps me a lot to read/hear/know people who
struggle. So often posted on FB, or elsewhere, are Great Tales of SouthSea Adventures, while Post about their vibrant good health and spirits, or terrific physical fitness, etc., and if I allow self-pity, self in general!, I get all full of envy and such...a not-good state of thought, as everyone would agree. The negs are so aggressive, huh. I have to consciously list the (ok, millions of)reasons that I can be grateful, hopeful, positive, etc. to break through the mesmeric spell of O Poor Me!, stuff like that. And it sure does seem to be a spell, huh. But, TG, along comes rationality, a better "mood," some positive thing/event/call/etc. and I regain my sensibilities. So, bottom line: Thank you, Caroline. I hear you, appreciate you, respect your fine writing, and Posts! And the story of your Granny...sweet! Life is sure....a lot of...Everything!
Sending tender sympathies for the death of your gran. How special that your first nature poems were letters to her. I definitely resonate with shifting attentions and how hard it is to be in a front-facing, online presence when a long and deep project is pulling you in. Wishing you all the best in the editing mire and always looking forward to what emerges in your work next.
Ah, thank you, Jen. I appreciate it. It seems like there is a collective retreat from the online world at the moment, which I welcome. But then again it's such a great tool for writers to stay connected - a double edged sword I guess :-)
Caroline, thank you for these tender words. A truly beautiful read that deeply resonated. My sympathies to you for your losses, especially your lovely Grandma. What a blessing to have her for so long, and also for her to have you. 💖 🕯️I look forward to learning more about your long project! ✨
Others have noted the poignancy of this passage: “We are living in paradox times. In the end maybe all we can do is choose how we live, and perhaps the true invitation of these times is to hold the beauty and the pain, the wonder and the weirdness, to keep dreaming and creating and believing that the future we need also desperately needs us.”
Things are truly crazy here. Every day brings an onslaught of hateful, chaotic horrors, and also more stories of and opportunities to engage in resistance and acts of fierce love and care for those who are experiencing terror and loss.
And in the midst: tender love for family and friends. Gratitude for the rising sun, birds at the feeder outside the window above my desk, the joyful abandon of my Bramble dog and our daughter’s puppy at the dog park, two mornings of soft fog, watching the moon ebb and flow . . .
There is fresh snow falling this morning—and if i don’t have the green yet, i’ll gladly take the quiet beauty of new snowfall.
Hi Michelle - thanks so much for this. I always appreciate your thoughtful reads and comments. Yes I cannot imagine the craziness in your area, and I am glad to hear that you find peace in the many blessings of your life. Things feel tense here, too. Mad times... Thanks also for your kind words about my gran 🤍
My sincerest condolences, Caroline. She was 104 years old?? That’s truly remarkable.
I always enjoy reading your monthly newsletters, and it was comforting to see this one come through. I’m also excited to hear that you’re working on a new project. Wishing you peace, tranquility, and gentle strength in this time.
I’m sorry for the losses that have marked your Year of the Snake, and so moved by the love with which you speak of your gran, the animals, and the land itself. Your honesty about exhaustion, creativity, and the need to move gently through these paradoxical times is such a gift.
Thank you for reminding us that even during these drab, grey winter days, small green shoots are already appearing. And as for your new writing project, it’s clear something is stirring there too … a quiet, steady unfurling beneath the pregnant darkness. Spring feels around the corner.
Thank you for sharing with such vulnerability. Your grandmother sounds like an amazing person. It’s funny, my name is Emily, but as a child I longed to be named Joyce because I thought it sounded like such a happy name. I begged my parents to let me change it and even convinced my sisters to call me Joyce for a few days at one point.
You writing that “In the end maybe all we can do is choose how we live, and perhaps the true invitation of these times is to hold the beauty and the pain, the wonder and the weirdness, to keep dreaming and creating and believing that the future we need also desperately needs us” is a North Star for me today. Thank you. Bless you.
Really enjoyed reading this, Caroline. Also, just a few minutes earlier I read an essay by Francis Weller in which he speaks of the need to hold things secret while they slowly cook in the alchemist’s vessel, so I think you’re going on the right track of holding your creative work close until it is ready.
Thank you, Andy. I really questioned whether to mention the work in progress at all but something told me it was time! There is still a long way to go, though... I hope you are going easy through the end of winter 🤍
My condolences – for the loss of all three lives: although to live so long seems a wonderful thing, despite your gran’s blindness. I sincerely hope she had a good life. Best wishes… -- Stephen.
Oh Caroline, I am so sorry to read about your losses, sending you love. And glad you read that you still manage to find comfort in the first stirrings of spring. We are living in extraordinary times, and we are all called upon to carry darkness with light, joy and sorrow, rage and hope. Nature is excellent at teaching these lessons. Also excited to hear more about your new project when you feel ready to share (no pressure, though - I thoroughly relate to not being able to be on and online and sharing during the editing/germination phase, and really just in general).
Nature teaches us patience, and emerging when the time is right. Trust her expertise. Condolences to you and your family, and best wishes for new projects when they are ready to come to the light!
Thank you so much for reading and for the kind words, Cheryl 🤍
Thank you for summoning the energy to write from a deep place. Grief is so hard to express, but your description of nature in February felt like a metaphor for it.
Thank you for reading and taking the time to leave a comment, Renee 🤍
Dear Caroline,
Condolences for your gran, and shared gratitude for her long wonderful life. My grandmother, my mother's mother, also died at 103, in February 2024, also peacefully in her bed, surrounded by two of her children. She was clear of mind until the end. Lives like theirs seem to me wonders of the natural world.
Blessings on all your unburrowings.
Thanks so much, Brian. My gran was also very mentally sharp until recently. I appreciate your kind words and wish you a blessed unburrowing also! 🤍
“the future we need also desperately needs us” — that is so lovely and true. I am deeply sorry for the loss of your beloved grandma, and pet rabbit, and the neighbour’s cat. Take all the time you can and need to process things — as you certainly have through your post. You have all the love to keep powering through.
Thank you, Luciana, I really appreciate that 🤍
🌹
Whew. You, too, know challenge. (Of course.) It helps me a lot to read/hear/know people who
struggle. So often posted on FB, or elsewhere, are Great Tales of SouthSea Adventures, while Post about their vibrant good health and spirits, or terrific physical fitness, etc., and if I allow self-pity, self in general!, I get all full of envy and such...a not-good state of thought, as everyone would agree. The negs are so aggressive, huh. I have to consciously list the (ok, millions of)reasons that I can be grateful, hopeful, positive, etc. to break through the mesmeric spell of O Poor Me!, stuff like that. And it sure does seem to be a spell, huh. But, TG, along comes rationality, a better "mood," some positive thing/event/call/etc. and I regain my sensibilities. So, bottom line: Thank you, Caroline. I hear you, appreciate you, respect your fine writing, and Posts! And the story of your Granny...sweet! Life is sure....a lot of...Everything!
Onward and Upward!!
Thank you so much! 🤍
Sending tender sympathies for the death of your gran. How special that your first nature poems were letters to her. I definitely resonate with shifting attentions and how hard it is to be in a front-facing, online presence when a long and deep project is pulling you in. Wishing you all the best in the editing mire and always looking forward to what emerges in your work next.
Ah, thank you, Jen. I appreciate it. It seems like there is a collective retreat from the online world at the moment, which I welcome. But then again it's such a great tool for writers to stay connected - a double edged sword I guess :-)
Caroline, thank you for these tender words. A truly beautiful read that deeply resonated. My sympathies to you for your losses, especially your lovely Grandma. What a blessing to have her for so long, and also for her to have you. 💖 🕯️I look forward to learning more about your long project! ✨
Others have noted the poignancy of this passage: “We are living in paradox times. In the end maybe all we can do is choose how we live, and perhaps the true invitation of these times is to hold the beauty and the pain, the wonder and the weirdness, to keep dreaming and creating and believing that the future we need also desperately needs us.”
Things are truly crazy here. Every day brings an onslaught of hateful, chaotic horrors, and also more stories of and opportunities to engage in resistance and acts of fierce love and care for those who are experiencing terror and loss.
And in the midst: tender love for family and friends. Gratitude for the rising sun, birds at the feeder outside the window above my desk, the joyful abandon of my Bramble dog and our daughter’s puppy at the dog park, two mornings of soft fog, watching the moon ebb and flow . . .
There is fresh snow falling this morning—and if i don’t have the green yet, i’ll gladly take the quiet beauty of new snowfall.
Hi Michelle - thanks so much for this. I always appreciate your thoughtful reads and comments. Yes I cannot imagine the craziness in your area, and I am glad to hear that you find peace in the many blessings of your life. Things feel tense here, too. Mad times... Thanks also for your kind words about my gran 🤍
My sincerest condolences, Caroline. She was 104 years old?? That’s truly remarkable.
I always enjoy reading your monthly newsletters, and it was comforting to see this one come through. I’m also excited to hear that you’re working on a new project. Wishing you peace, tranquility, and gentle strength in this time.
Thank you my good friend. I found your direct message (several months late - apologies) and have sent a belated reply. So excited for your book!!
I saw that and sent you an email. Let me know if you haven’t received it.
I’m sorry for the losses that have marked your Year of the Snake, and so moved by the love with which you speak of your gran, the animals, and the land itself. Your honesty about exhaustion, creativity, and the need to move gently through these paradoxical times is such a gift.
Thank you for reminding us that even during these drab, grey winter days, small green shoots are already appearing. And as for your new writing project, it’s clear something is stirring there too … a quiet, steady unfurling beneath the pregnant darkness. Spring feels around the corner.
Be gentle with yourself, Caroline. 🙏💖🌱
Thank you so much always Deborah. Your reads and kind words are deeply felt and appreciated 🤍
Thank you for sharing with such vulnerability. Your grandmother sounds like an amazing person. It’s funny, my name is Emily, but as a child I longed to be named Joyce because I thought it sounded like such a happy name. I begged my parents to let me change it and even convinced my sisters to call me Joyce for a few days at one point.
You writing that “In the end maybe all we can do is choose how we live, and perhaps the true invitation of these times is to hold the beauty and the pain, the wonder and the weirdness, to keep dreaming and creating and believing that the future we need also desperately needs us” is a North Star for me today. Thank you. Bless you.
Thanks so much for this thoughtful comment 🤍 Blessings to you too
This is so beautiful. Thank you. So many lines to treasure here.
What an inspiringly long and rich life your gran had; I’m sorry for your loss.
I can’t wait to see the longer project that’s brewing!
Thank you, Jodi! I appreciate you being here 🤍🤍
I noticed.
Thank you for your support, Lori 🤍
Really enjoyed reading this, Caroline. Also, just a few minutes earlier I read an essay by Francis Weller in which he speaks of the need to hold things secret while they slowly cook in the alchemist’s vessel, so I think you’re going on the right track of holding your creative work close until it is ready.
Thank you, Andy. I really questioned whether to mention the work in progress at all but something told me it was time! There is still a long way to go, though... I hope you are going easy through the end of winter 🤍
My condolences – for the loss of all three lives: although to live so long seems a wonderful thing, despite your gran’s blindness. I sincerely hope she had a good life. Best wishes… -- Stephen.
Thank you, Stephen. Much appreciated 🤍
My deepest condolences to you for the loss of your Gran 💔
Thank you, Georg, and thanks for reading 🤍
Oh Caroline, I am so sorry to read about your losses, sending you love. And glad you read that you still manage to find comfort in the first stirrings of spring. We are living in extraordinary times, and we are all called upon to carry darkness with light, joy and sorrow, rage and hope. Nature is excellent at teaching these lessons. Also excited to hear more about your new project when you feel ready to share (no pressure, though - I thoroughly relate to not being able to be on and online and sharing during the editing/germination phase, and really just in general).
Thanks so much, Sarah. Your kindness and support is appreciated by so many here 🤍