Thank you Sally! I am so glad you enjoy the connections between these as well. I have found it interesting to notice all the surprising ways we can make shifts in our world for the better, especially when you realise the implications of those small actions.
Ah Catriona, this is so beautiful, thank you. Very encouraging and motivating for me personally. I met my small piece of land this week. It's quite big actually, 3000 square metres. Maybe I should fill it with roses...🌹
Hi Rahma - how exciting that you met your land this week. What good timing! Your comment makes me think of hundreds of red roses stretching across the Italian Alps! It sounds so beautiful. And so great to hear your update and that you are moving forward in your journey.
This is so lovely Catriona. I remember reading in Ruth Allen's book, Weathering that your contribution needs to fit your character, and to me, this speaks so much to this. I think so many of us here, in our writing work, are planting roses in between roads and on the pavement-- and whilst it may not be packaged as activism as we traditionally recognise it, it absolutely is xx
I love that Jane. Yes we need to act for what we care in ways which align with us and maybe also healthily push us out of our comforts zones. And without shame for making one choice or another. Doing what we can. Maybe I can find a pavement crack to plant into 💕
Thank you so much sharing this story Catriona. It’s beautiful, inspiring and timely for me. Tells me once again there are so many ways of changing the world and truly having an impact.
Thank you Tanya. I am so happy to hear it touched and inspired you. I think - from working on big multimillion dollar aid projects - that it is often the smallest projects which have the greatest impact on people and on making a positive impact. And I think being rooted in a community and a place is a powerful way to start making small changes.
Wow!!! As someone who always grew up in cities and spent most of my life in buildings, I notice my midlife is making me yearn for a closeness to everything natural. I crave trees, I crave walking barefoot on grass, I'm ditching expensive perfumes for less expensive essential oils, I want to fill my apartment with plants (despite not being a green thumb), I want to eat fruits instead of cookies! We come from nature, we want to keep going back to it. Thank you for writing this. This last bit is mindblowing: "Because once our dictators fall, we find ourselves holding all the tendencies which come from living under a dictator. We find that it is not the dictator who had to change, but us."
It’s such a contradiction for us city-bred kids. I enjoy the comfort and ease that comes with a city life. But, I’m increasingly being aware of my mind and body missing out on breathing fresh air and drinking clean water straight from the tap. My short trip to Capetown made me realise how much I crave to be in a place that doesn’t charge me a dime for clean air and water. Leads you to think of the bigger scams we’ve fallen for in exchange of ‘comfort’. Thank YOU for illuminating such thoughts within me again. I’m so glad @Tanya Shakil tagged me to your post. And your illustrations were so enticing too!
This is such a lovely story about how we can all grow cultural change and gardens, both things that I am passionate about. Thank you!
Thank you Sally! I am so glad you enjoy the connections between these as well. I have found it interesting to notice all the surprising ways we can make shifts in our world for the better, especially when you realise the implications of those small actions.
So agree! Small action change is surprisingly transformative, very helpful to keep reminding ourselves and one another of this right now
Yes that is a good reminder Sally. Thank you 🙏🏻
Ah Catriona, this is so beautiful, thank you. Very encouraging and motivating for me personally. I met my small piece of land this week. It's quite big actually, 3000 square metres. Maybe I should fill it with roses...🌹
Hi Rahma - how exciting that you met your land this week. What good timing! Your comment makes me think of hundreds of red roses stretching across the Italian Alps! It sounds so beautiful. And so great to hear your update and that you are moving forward in your journey.
This is so lovely Catriona. I remember reading in Ruth Allen's book, Weathering that your contribution needs to fit your character, and to me, this speaks so much to this. I think so many of us here, in our writing work, are planting roses in between roads and on the pavement-- and whilst it may not be packaged as activism as we traditionally recognise it, it absolutely is xx
I love that Jane. Yes we need to act for what we care in ways which align with us and maybe also healthily push us out of our comforts zones. And without shame for making one choice or another. Doing what we can. Maybe I can find a pavement crack to plant into 💕
Thank you so much sharing this story Catriona. It’s beautiful, inspiring and timely for me. Tells me once again there are so many ways of changing the world and truly having an impact.
Thank you Tanya. I am so happy to hear it touched and inspired you. I think - from working on big multimillion dollar aid projects - that it is often the smallest projects which have the greatest impact on people and on making a positive impact. And I think being rooted in a community and a place is a powerful way to start making small changes.
Wow!!! As someone who always grew up in cities and spent most of my life in buildings, I notice my midlife is making me yearn for a closeness to everything natural. I crave trees, I crave walking barefoot on grass, I'm ditching expensive perfumes for less expensive essential oils, I want to fill my apartment with plants (despite not being a green thumb), I want to eat fruits instead of cookies! We come from nature, we want to keep going back to it. Thank you for writing this. This last bit is mindblowing: "Because once our dictators fall, we find ourselves holding all the tendencies which come from living under a dictator. We find that it is not the dictator who had to change, but us."
I love how vividly you describe all these changes in your life Sanobar as you discover this new closeness to nature.
I also crave all those things - and currently live in a very urban environment - each time I am somewhere green it feels very different in my body.
Thank you for stopping by - I am touched you appreciated this piece. And those are also my favourite lines ;)
It’s such a contradiction for us city-bred kids. I enjoy the comfort and ease that comes with a city life. But, I’m increasingly being aware of my mind and body missing out on breathing fresh air and drinking clean water straight from the tap. My short trip to Capetown made me realise how much I crave to be in a place that doesn’t charge me a dime for clean air and water. Leads you to think of the bigger scams we’ve fallen for in exchange of ‘comfort’. Thank YOU for illuminating such thoughts within me again. I’m so glad @Tanya Shakil tagged me to your post. And your illustrations were so enticing too!