Slow & Simple Moments | 05.25
The heaviness of winter lingered and we longed for the light refreshment of spring. But before long, the spring we craved so hard, will seamlessly fade into summer.
Welcome to Rediscover · Reconnect · Re-Emerge. If you find the fleeting changes of modern life wearisome, maybe even overwhelming, join me on a journey, a path well-trodden, as I share heartfelt and often nostalgic reflections on living slowly, simply, and in tune with the seasons.
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.
The heaviness of winter lingered and we longed for the light refreshment of spring. But before long, the spring we craved so hard, will seamlessly fade into summer. This quiet transition is, for me, the least recognisable seasonal change. The garden is already overfilled with beautiful roses and other glorious blooms. Perhaps summer is already here?
When we depart from winter, a well-worn friend who seems to cling bitterly to our arm, we expect to leave that heaviness behind, that somehow, in that gentle transition from season to season, we will emerge renewed and refreshed. In many respects, we do. We welcomed spring with open arms, and soon, we shall welcome summer too. But these transitions are not always easy. Some of the heaviness of the winter months has, for me, lingered. It gnaws at me, that in that seasonal metamorphosis, the darkness and heaviness of winter clings on.
As we wander gently along the path which winds and weaves through life, there are times when we skip out, in joyful exaltation, yet in other seasons, we can’t quite shake off those things which weigh us down. I think
summed this up quite beautifully when she said:‘Spring cleaning in our homes and hearts is not a new concept. It’s a practice rooted in thousands of years of history, which I think is just so fascinating. How can something as simple as cleaning more thoroughly in a certain season stay relevant when so much else in history comes and goes? But beyond the rituals, don’t we also feel it intrinsically in our bodies? That desire to shed layers and start anew at some point in spring?’
The things which weigh us down, which seem, somehow, to sap our precious energy, are not always easy to identify. We stumble forward, with confidence and assurance, but somehow, we can’t quite put our finger on it.
hits the nail on the head, saying that when we are out of alignment, we’re always exhausted, even after a full-night’s sleep. This is something which has plagued me for 41 years. I’m 41. How I wish I could shake off the tiredness, a tiredness which sleep itself never seems to heal. It has been especially present this month.
Yet, in these words,
grounds us, writing:‘This morning, I realised that we’re almost always standing at some kind of crossroads. The way forward is rarely easy or obvious. More often than not, it’s the path that demands the most courage—and brings the most discomfort—that leads us to the most worthwhile places.’
Perhaps winter’s insistent grip is a reminder? A reminder that as we travel from season to season, there are no miracle cures. Our path through life is rarely straight. There are twists and turns everywhere we look. Perhaps the best we can hope for is that at each of those crossroads, we dig deep in our souls, and muster the courage to seek that alignment which, in our hearts, we know we crave.
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May 2025
As I write this, there is still a week of May to go, and the second of two bank holidays. Here, May has been a month of new challenges, of sowing seeds, the results of which we hope we’ll reap well into the future. It’s been a month of stepping out in confidence, always willing to have a go, and to embrace messy action over perfection. It feels good, yet in this new-found confidence, we cannot escape the uncertainty, the things which we know, deep down, hold us back.
In the garden, the roses seemed to come to life in a matter of hours. The bushes were laden with expectant buds, and then suddenly, an explosion of colour. But of course, none of this would be possible without what felt like brutal pruning in the autumn and winter. We enjoy the spectacular display now because we were willing to prune the unwanted growth of previous seasons then. Perhaps this is a stark reminder that in our lives, just as in nature, there is a time for sowing, but also, a time for cutting back.
Here are some of my slow and simple moments from May. I hope they might inspire and encourage you to seek out your own in the months to come.
The First Rose of Summer
We eagerly anticipate the blooming of the first rose, partly because we have so many beautiful varieties of rose in the garden, and partly because this offers such a deeply nourishing sense of continuity. Give or take a day or two, the first rose, almost always Olivia Rose Austin, blooms at the same time each year.
I find their annual appearance such an incredibly grounding experience, that in their rebirth, after all the ups and downs of the intervening 12 months, they say “I’m here, you’re here, we made it”. All around us, we can find these beautiful signs of the changing seasons, and that with them, we find continuity amidst change.
Have you seen any beautiful roses yet this season?
Twilight
In winter, we craved the lighter evenings, and now they’re here. But it’s not just about it being light later into the evening, it’s about the changing quality of the light. I think that
found a fitting way to describe it, saying:‘May…with her evenings that dissolve into a velvety dusk, lavender hues dimpled with starlight, and soft warmth that envelops us as we walk down the lane which is infused with the scent of blossom and wildflowers.’
I think Walter de la Mare captured it too in his poem, Dream Song:
Sunlight, moonlight,
Twilight, starlight
Gloaming at the close of day,
And an owl calling,
Cool dews falling
In a wood of oak and may.
We love our twilight walks at this time of year; do you?
I look forward to seeing which slow and simple moments June will bring. Why not let me know in the comments some of your special moments from the month of May.
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My May has been very similar to yours, stepping out and willing to give it a go, no matter where it leads us!
David, this post is as so beautifully written, have you considered turning your writings into a book?
I’m wondering if you’ve heard of Human Design? It’s all about personal alignment and living with our true selves. It might be worth a look. There are websites that do free charts if you just type ‘human design’ in. I’ll try and remember the one I really liked.