Fall is flashing with color, and once again we find ourselves amidst a cascade of changes. What is most interesting to me is just how undefined the season seems at this moment. It is not quite here or there; it has started but nowhere near finished. The differences from day to day are slight but steadily progressive. I have a bit of an obsession with the in-between.
There is such powerful potential for transformation hovering in the space where an ending becomes a beginning...
This kind of metamorphosis is happening in my life with visceral vibrance as my son makes the wide arc into adolescence. It is breathtakingly beautiful and totally brutal all at the same time. He is too big for his old self and too little for his new self. Every moment is a clumsy unfolding into utter vulnerability. We are laughing and crying, screaming and shouting our way through it as best we can. It is a hot mess...
(published with pre-teen's permission)
Transitions are typically the most uncomfortable parts of our lives. One of the silliest mistakes grown ups make is pretending that we are done with them. When we achieve a sense of stability we often cling to it like a toddler with a security blanket. How many times in your adult life have you dared to admit that you have no idea who you are, what you want to do, or what comes next? I think we all frequently feel that way, but perhaps rarely allow ourselves to explore such difficult terrain...
My son is my inspiration right now because he is acutely aware of his awkward amorphous state, and he is not even trying to hide it. There is no escape. There is no way to speed up past the bumpy parts or hasten his arrival. A huge unknown stretches before him, but everyday he musters the courage to step forward despite not knowing exactly where he is headed. It is an important reminder- for all of us- that there are still plenty of discoveries to be made. Fall in love with the in-between; it is actually one of the sweetest spots...
Yours from the foliage,
Valarie
How do you inhabit the in-between? Try this embodied practice to find your Sweet Spot.