Slow & Simple Moments | 04.24
As we feel more frequently the warmth of the sun on our faces, I look back on some of the beautiful and special slow and simple moments from the past month.
In this series, I share some of the things I’ve been getting up to, places I’ve been, and other beautiful and special slow and simple moments from the past month.
Somehow, just as April arrived, it departed, but what a glorious palette of colours it’s left behind. Suddenly, the daffodils gave way to beautiful tulips stretching heavenwards, their vibrant and pastel shades nestled between the growth of all things new. The trees are bedecked with sumptuous blossom, almost impossible to see without feeling awestruck at nature’s beauty. These simple changes as the wheel of the year turns, remind us that whilst some things arrive and leave with haste, others linger, clinging on.
April 2024
This month has offered us some welcome glimpses of the sunshine and warm which lies ahead. How wonderful to feel that warmth permeate your face once again after the cold and windy winter months. It’s been a month of change and growth, where suddenly, nature begins to climb high, seeking that warmth and sunlight too.
Here are some of my slow and simple moments from April. I hope they might inspire and encourage you to seek out your own in the months to come.
Lighter Evenings
The clocks changed at the end of March, and those welcome, lighter evenings arrived almost instantaneously. As the month has progressed, we can already spot the small changes as the days begin to elongate, allowing us to enjoy more time outside in daylight, a time where we can often connect with nature in its most beautiful and precious moments. Yes, golden hour, that short time when the sun has almost set, the glare of the brightness diminishes, and suddenly that magical, warm light bathes everything in a way no man-made light could ever do.
I wonder how you have been enjoying the lighter evenings? Have they allowed you to spend more time outside, perhaps enjoying some evening walks and beautiful golden hour moments?
Books that Speak to You
Just occasionally, you come across a book which speaks strongly. Somehow, the words simply leap from the page in a way that only that person, in that place and at that time, could have written. One of the philosophies behind both A Life More Creative, and Rediscover · Reconnect · Re-Emerge here on Substack, is a connection to the past. How can our understanding of the past help us build a solid foundation for the present? It might come as no surprise that the further back in time you go, the lives of those who came before us have no shortage of wisdom to offer. Esther de Waal, in her book, Seeking God, explores the Rule of St Benedict, written some 1,500 years ago, and how his approach to life, which embraced both simplicity and community, can help us navigate the ever-turbulent times of today. In many respects, nothing has changed, for she writes of those early Benedictine monasteries:
‘This modest approach to life-style is most reassuring. It is in tune with the ways of simpler living which many of us feel that we should be exploring...It brings into focus the tensions between us and the third world; and between the shocking extremes of wealth and poverty in our own society. It also brings into focus the way in which consumer society, with the backing of the media, encourages us on the one hand to eat more than we need, to drink, to indulge ourselves to the point of excess, and then on the other hand encourages us to go in for weight watching, slimming, dieting - another form of extreme.’
These words were written 40 years ago, of a time long past, yet how strongly they resonate with us today. Whatever your beliefs, I think this is a life-affirming book for anyone who yearns for something slower and simpler, a life which focuses on the things which really matter.
When you look back at your life, I wonder what inspiration you’ve drawn from the past? Has the past helped you build a more solid foundation for your future?
Long Walks
With spring comes a renewed energy. I worked hard this year to embrace a slower approach to winter, taking time to embrace nature’s slumber. It’s not easy, but rather than rushing into all things new as January resolutely took hold, only now do I feel that sense of emergence and refreshment. With that renewed energy comes a desire to spend more time outside, and for
and I, that means longer walks, not just in the evening, but at the weekend too. Even living in a city, we don’t have to walk far to find some peaceful and tranquil spots. Of course, these are made all the more magical when you can enjoy them without the hustle and bustle, where the sound of the skylark echoes resplendently across the fields. Who could have put it better than Ivor Novello:“We'll gather lilacs in the spring again
And walk together down an English lane
Until our hearts have learnt to sing again”
As spring has awakened, have you been travelling further afield, taking advantage of that renewed sense of energy and direction?
Blossom
It’s hard to write about April without mentioning the glorious blossom which we take almost for granted. The greyness of winter is suddenly absorbed by these beautiful white and pink blooms literally dripping from the trees. There are so many different types of blossom too, and if you look closely, it is simply awe-inspiring to see the level of intricate detail of each cluster. Nature has thought of everything. We are very lucky to have tree-lined path leading up to the church at St Michael-on-Greenhill, where the apple blossom, albeit short-lived, suddenly bursts into life.
How many different types of blossom have you enjoyed this month?
With a feeling of refreshment and renewal, it’s hard not to feel the pull of spring drawing you forward. The simple moments we see now are merely a foretaste of what is to come, yet there is a time and place for everything. Nature isn’t in a hurry, and neither should we feel hurried too. These are moments to enjoy and to cherish; it is more than acceptable to make haste slowly.
Festina lente.
I look forward to seeing which slow and simple moments May will bring. Why not let me know in the comments some of your special moments from the month of April.
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It makes you think how lucky we are xx
Lighter evenings and long walks are chef’s kiss!