Anchoring Our Family Life in the Seasons
Seasonal living is something of a buzz word, especially among Instagram accounts awash with perfect nature scenes, artfully designed homes in natural tones, and impressive craft set ups. But what does seasonal living actually mean?
In our family it means bringing a reverence for the season's into our family life through simple rhythms and rituals. We honour the turning of the wheel and find small ways to maintain a connection to what is happening in the natural world. And by deepening our relationship the outer seasons, we ultimately connect more deeply with our own inner landscape and inner seasons. Because we are, of course, part of nature too. Through this relationship, we connect to something bigger than ourselves.
As a period coach for parent I find that there’s the added benefit that by providing an embodied experience of the seasons for our children and partners (who may not menstruate) we give them a kind of access to our cyclic experience.
Here are some simple ideas for connecting to the seasons as a family
bringing nature inside…having a nature table for young children to display their nature treasures, making simple arrangements from wildflowers, branches, or leaves
eating seasonal produce
rotating seasonal books, especially for young children (here are our favourite spring books, summer books, autumn books, and winter books)
having a “sit spot” or special nature walk that you revisit as a family throughout the year
It was very much through following my son’s curiosity that I began reconnecting with the planet’s seasons in a deeper way. He’d be curious about the flowers and trees, so we’d look up their names together. He was enamoured with the bird song, so we’d sit and listen to it. Over time, I felt this deeper connection the the land simply by noticing what was going on around me and how my inner world was very much reflected in the outer world.
Now the seasonal changes have become an important part of the fabric of our family life. We all look forward to wild garlic season in late winter and picking blackberries as the summer gives way to autumn. We know when certain birds will visit the pond at our local park and delight in the changing colours of our favourite woodland. These seasonal changes anchor us into the dependable rhythms of the natural world, rhythms that also exist within us.
