Taking Stock, Transitions

Dear Friends, 

I've found myself binging on Netflix series to get lost in "normality"... anything remotely familiar to escape our current world. I mean, just this week's news seemed too frighteningly weird to be true: a Chinese rocket booster spiralling off course and everyone watching to see where it would crash into the earth (near the Maldives, no one was hurt...),a new fungal virus to add to Indian Covid 19 variant fears, strange vaccine hoax theories... In all of my 54 years, I cannot remember a time feeling so unhinged... even as I was raised during a cold war, lived through two series of terrorist attacks while living in Paris, witnessed financial crashes in 2001 and 2008 that we still haven't fully recovered from... But THIS - this backdrop of rabid capitalism, political incompetence, white supremacy, social inequity etc - has felt particularly ominous. What on earth is going on?

Then I came across this quote which had me thinking about the good people in all of this. The brightest stars. In many ways, those shining for me right now have always been burning bright. I just never realized how special they were until, against the sooty backdrop, they shone forward with clarity. It's funny how powerful simple words in a quote can flip a switch in your thinking.

In the past days, I've been working on reinventing my space and schedule to suit me. My youngest finished moving out on Saturday and Mother's Day marked my first day of living alone in over 30 years. It was actually exhilarating to consider! (I can actually do what I want! How liberating!)

To mark the moment, and these times, and the many bright stars in the darkness, I sat down and put together a time capsule of sorts. It's a letter to a future me (in five years). I wrote out my hopes and fears. I made myself a few promises. I described my current day and highlighted those people and things that I cherished. I indulged in a few funny predictions. I stuck it in an envelope, which - now sealed - is tucked behind one of my paintings.

It was meant to be a light-hearted exercise - and it was. Yet, it touched me deeply, unexpectedly. Laying out my reference points served to ground me again. Life may feel unhinged and unpredictable. But I am okay. In fact, I'm blessed. Incredibly so. It was good to be reminded of that. I hope "2026 Nathalie" sees that I've been doing my best on this path to meet her.

 

Where Will 2026 Find Us?!

Day follows night. This dark night WILL make way for blue skies. For now, let's get lost in those bright stars!

Who are they? What are the moments, things, people or thoughts that shine light right now? If you'd like to create a time capsule of your own, you might find it to be soothing and enriching. It's very simple; it's about recording this moment in time, in your own words so that you can reflect back on them in a year, five years or whatever time span you choose. You can rustle together some notes on a paper, add sketches or include objects. No one else will see it, so you're free to create this little nugget for yourself!

Questions can make the writing flow more smoothly. Some prompts include:
 

• How are you? (Imagining the first lines of a letter to a friend)
• What are things you've learned these past 14 months?
• How have you surprised yourself (in a positive way!)?
• What are the things you thought you couldn't live without... and then have found you don't really miss much?
• Who are the people you thought you couldn't live without... and then have found you don't really miss much?
• Who are the people you didn't know or didn't much think about... and then have found you enjoy having in your world?
• What are any fears that you've been carrying around about the pandemic, the future?
• What hopes do you have for the years ahead?
• What do you commit to learning, doing, achieving?
• What small changes can you make today to drive that commitment?
• What are you ready to let go of? Want less of?
• What are you listening to? Watching? What are your favourite foods? Scents?
• What are your wild, fun predictions for those around you?
• What do you want your future self to know about your May 2021 self?
• What kind words do you offer your future self?

Have fun with this! You'll see that it will be time well spent. :-)

Sending you all best vibes and bright lights I can muster!

xo Nat