A Season for Clearing Out
What new rhythms are you creating as we transition from summer to fall?
Happy Tuesday Thursday Friday! I hope you had a nice long weekend. I planned to get this to you sooner, but here we are!
For me, Labor Day weekend always feels like the end of summer — even with my older kids back in school for 6 weeks now, things haven’t been all that busy. The shift has begun — we’re settling into fall activities, making plans for travel, holidays, and all that comes with this time of year.
As a kid, we’d use the long weekend to pull out boxes of “off-season” clothes, trying on sweaters and jeans to see what still fit and what needed to be replaced. We tucked away our white Easter shoes, swimsuits and tank tops and replaced them with clothes made of fabrics we hadn’t seen in months.
I don’t own any white dress shoes, but I suppose if I did, the old ways would come back to me. I still notice the desire this time of year to clear out a few things — even if temperatures are still hitting triple digits by the afternoon. There is something about the shift of a new school year, the beginning of September, and the allure of fall that calls us to something new.
There is a natural rhythm in the change of the seasons that beckons us to adjust. As I settle into (finally) having all three kids in school this week, I’m also looking back a little before moving forward. I might be asking too much of the metaphor — but I want to see what no longer fits. I’m opening up the boxes of last season’s rhythms to see if they still work, or if it’s time for something new.
I’m making time this weekend to participate in an online retreat titled Create a Clearing, led by Elizabeth Peterson (I’ll add links that you might be interested in at the bottom). The name of the retreat is based on a poem by Martha Postelewaite called Clearing — In the poem, she gives us an invitation:
create
a clearing
in the dense forest
of your life
and wait there
patiently
I’m still in the create stage of creating a clearing, but my hope is to invite you into the space with me. I’d love to hear what rhythms you’re creating as we move from summer to fall, what is helpful, and what is so last season?
I’ll list a few resources below that I’m tapping into that you might find useful during this month full of overwhelm and excitement, transition and new beginnings, and let’s be honest — easy dinners and hopes for cooler temps.
Alongside you in the changing of seasons,
Holly
A few links:
Here is a link to the Create a Clearing retreat I am participating in with Elizabeth Peterson (this is a pre-recorded mini-retreat)
I always enjoy The Lazy Genius and I thought her recent podcast episode, How I Handle a Busy Season, was really helpful! I also laughed out loud a few times.
Here is the full poem by Martha Postelwaite - Clearing
Our Book Club at church is reading Sacred Self-Care by Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes, and so far its been fantastic!
As a spiritual direction apprentice, I am taking on directees for free as I learn and grow in the practice. You can read more about my apprenticeship training here and see my bio at the bottom of this page. If Spiritual Direction is something that might help create a clearing for you, please reach out! I can be contacted at hollyporterphillips@gmail.com.