Embracing a Year of Flux

Happy New Year!

Yes, I realise it’s February right now, but I’m moving at a slower pace of life these days and I make no apologies for that.

Life has slowed to a beautiful, inexorable trundle since our little Ben was born. I barely plan more than a day in advance, a week at most, and each day arrives as a blank canvas, shaped by his needs for nursing and play and sleep. And my sleep. Throughout the winter I’ve tried to make room for my care as well, catching extra sleep when I can, enjoying nourishing food without worrying about my squishy postpartum body, and wearing my good pyjamas.

While slow and simple was my mantra for 2017, the coming year is about to turn all that around. My maternity leave is coming to an end, and I have big career decisions to make. Ben is growing and changing with each passing week, and his needs are changing just as fast. Throughout this year I’ll be exploring the balancing act between motherhood and family and work, figuring out what works for us and what doesn’t. Large portions of the playing field will remain in constant motion and I need to be ready to weather those changes, embrace them, and celebrate them.

I’m not usually one for resolutions. But, inspired by Hannah Bullivant over at Seeds and Stitches, I decided to focus on a single word, a mantra for 2018. Given how much constant motion and change is just around the corner for me, the word that immediately occurred to me was flux.

I’m hoping that by being open to a year of flux I will also let in a little radiance too

I’m hoping that my choice of word will remind me to weather uncertainty, and even celebrate it as I start to navigate this brand new phase of my life. In physics, flux refers to the rate at which radiant energy flows across a space, and without sounding like I swallowed a lot of crystals and danced naked under the full moon, I’m hoping that by being open to a year of flux I will also let in a little radiance too.

In the spirit of embracing the changes and investing in myself, I spent last Saturday at Write Yourself Home, a day long workshop run by the awesome goddess that is Sas Petherick. Spending an entire day in self-reflection, confrontation, and realisation is an enormous privilege, and spending that time in the company of other women at different stages and seasons of their own lives was just what I needed to draw me out of my postpartum cocoon and gently back into the world. Sas is probably best known for her work around self doubt, but honestly her coaching practice extends into all areas of life. If you fancy an inspirational listen, perhaps as an accompaniment to a relaxing bath (my personal preference, when I can scrounge the time) I highly recommend making some time for her podcast, Courage and Spice.

Over the coming months I plan on showing up more regularly for Song of the Stitch. For nearly a decade this piece of digital real estate in its various incarnations has been part of my home, and it’s time I did some spring cleaning. So watch out for new content, every fortnight to begin with while I ease myself back in. The beauty of six months’ gentle trundling is that I’ve had plenty of time to develop an idea or two!

Brace yourself 2018, I’m coming for you.