Reflecting on Dormancy and Bloom 🌸

Hi there,

You may have noticed that by now I would have usually published my monthly The Little Things blog. But this month, I thought I’d do things a little differently.

It might sound a bit conceited, but I’ve been reconnecting with some of the poetry in my book You Will Find Your Way lately. I’ve been sitting with the poem “Dormant” in particular this week and reflecting on how it feels more relevant than ever.

Dormant

Sometimes we are dormant;
not visibly active,
prioritising rest,
conserving energy,
building our root systems,
replenishing strength,
surviving adverse conditions.

Sometimes we are blooming;
visibly active,
vibrant,
bright,
loud,
head held high,
more obviously thriving.

Both are necessary.
Both are beautiful. 

As I go on my daily walk, I’ve been noticing the phases of the beautiful flowering gum tree pictured at the top of this blog post. The leafy green foliage blended in with the landscape for a while, then brown nuts appeared and weighed down the branches, until one day I walked past and there was a magnificent display of red blossoms.

Witnessing this cycle again recently was a lovely reminder that both dormancy and blooming are natural, necessary and beautiful phases. Society often places more value on the productive, ‘blooming’ phases of life - but just as my poem ‘Dormant’ suggests, there is equal value in honouring our quiet, restorative, and more ‘dormant’ moments.

I've been particularly reflecting on the need for rest and restoration lately. I know this can be a difficult time of year for many, as folks grapple with balancing work, family, trauma, grief, the big issues of the world, life curveballs and holiday preparations. We often feel the pressure to constantly be productive, to hustle and to push through. 

If you relate to this, I invite you to join me in embracing the idea of dormancy, and to give yourself some grace - to slow down, to rest, to conserve energy, to rebuild those root systems, and to replenish strength. 

For me, this will look like more time stretching, walking amongst the trees, reading, playing Nintendo, puzzling, hanging with my kiddo, and intentionally breathing.

If you'd like to hear more of my personal thoughts and experiences on this topic (and others!), I share additional reflections and stories in my monthly newsletter. You can sign up here.

In the meantime, I'm curious: Are you in a phase of dormancy or blooming at the moment? What does this season look like for you? How might you honour it more in the weeks ahead? Respond in the comments and let me know - I'd love to hear from you.