Change is coming. There’s a coolness to the air, even in the warmth of the afternoon sun. The evening light is lessening, and while my morning routine hasn’t changed, I already have coffee in hand as the sun rises over the yellowing soybean fields.
For some, the fall equinox brings joy with the vibrant colors of changing leaves, hooded sweatshirts, and pumpkin spiced everything. For others, there is grief in the growing dark, cooling days, and preparing for the mad dash through the holiday season.
Perhaps for many of us it is both and.
As humans we dislike paradox. We are eager to resolve tension, to bring harmony to dissonance. And yet, the invitation is to be present with what is. We do not have to deny our discomforts nor submerge our griefs to embrace the sacred blessing of today.
The other evening we gathered, scissors, glue sticks and a pile of magazines between us at the table. We made space for silence and wonder, delighted and surprised by what we produced. Engaging in the creative spiritual practice of soul collage was an opportunity to hold a mirror up to our hearts. While we each had arrived with distinct hopes for the time, each of us left with comfort and challenge.
Both and.
In her book, My Body and Other Crumbling Empires, Lyndsey Medford reflects that diagnosis is not a cure. And, it is a challenge to live into what is and not what we think should be. These twin takeaways came back to me in the silence of our retreat time-- the diagnosis of my soul was significant, necessary, for we cannot work with what we do not acknowledge. However, identifying the state of things is not enough.
Healing. Growth. Movement. Revelation of the next right thing will require the work of both and. It is work that calls for being honest about what we wish for, what should be, while embracing the reality of what is.
Both and.
Perhaps you, too, need a moment to look into the mirror of your soul. Maybe some of the questions from one of my recent soul care conversations are for you as well. Consider:
What did you think your life would be like?
What would you like to work towards?
In light of what is and what you thought would be, what do you now need to release?
If you or someone you know would like to explore a rhythm of spiritual direction, or if you need some companionship in your reflection, you can schedule a virtual session here.