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Kneeling over a pot on my back patio, I worked the soil, pulling the weeds and loosening the tight roots. Life had taken a sharp and sudden turn, one I wasn’t prepared for. After moving into a new townhouse there was one thing I knew I had to do. I needed to move in fully, put art on the walls and plants on the back patio. To face the challenges ahead I needed a soft landing when I got home from work everyday because beauty is respite for a tired spirit. My garden, like my kitchen, became a place to get lost in thought while keeping my hands busy. I needed to care for something else as a way through my own pain. I was learning to slow down and listen.
It’s been more than 10 years now since that house. I remember it as a place where I experienced the depths of hurt and heartbreak but also the contrast of deep joy and friendship. A place where I sharpened my intuition. It was the birthplace of the dream to move to France. But after all these years, I’m now living full-time in France, I got remarried and we’ve had two kids. A lot has changed in my life, but also in the world. I also developed wicked allergies after my second kid – just to keep me on my toes!
So in light of all the change I’ve been trying to make more space for all the things I love in the last year. An act of self care in the midst of life. More Journaling, meditating, cooking, wine tasting and of course gardening. I get so caught up in trying to run a business I forget to take care of myself and to indulge the other things I love. Which also means I silence my inner voice. So I’ve come back to my blog, a source of joy to me over the years but not for business, but because I’ve been learning to slow down and listen, once again. It’s been calling me back.
I hope you’ll join me for the journey as I explore the art of good living in France and as I share about the experiences that have made it so rich along the way.
Want to learn how to propagate your own lavender and grow your own garden? Check out this post!
