By: Deme McDonald Illustration By: Austen McDonald
SOUL IN BLOOM Spring is a benevolent season bringing a welcomed warmth, new life, renewed energy, and optimism.
M
y icy bones are beginning to thaw as winter has departed and spring has leaped into the Southern Hemisphere here is Australia bringing a world of possibilities into bloom. I welcome this temperate season with arms opened wide catching the soft sun gently warming my heart and so kindly introducing a regeneration of life and hope as I enter the spring of my experiences. The winter of my life was harsh, the devastation of divorce and single motherhood which left my heart bitter cold and barren as loss made a home in my soul and prepared for a long hibernation. While this frigid time was long and dark I have come to realise that there is a purpose in the seasons, even winter. The acrimonious winter provided an opportunity to pause and to focus on the development of my children, reflect on past decisions and cultivate ideas and dreams for tomorrow. Like the acorn that lies dormant for years awaiting the most opportune moment to germinate, my soul was asleep anticipating the moment when circumstances tilted in my favour so that I may grow to my full potential in mind and spirit. I lived in the cold for what felt like an ice age as a fulltime working mother balancing the roles of nurturer and disciplinarian as all parents do who are doing it alone. I was in survival mode not daring to come out of my shell as the job was so far from done. Anne Bradstreet, the first American Colonial poet, held many titles including Puritan, wife, and mother of eight. In 54
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my youth, I happened upon the works of Bradstreet and the heartfelt way in which she so elegantly shared the challenges and beauty of motherhood and wifedom in her poetry. Having walked this path, I can only now fully realise her wisdom as she wrote, “if we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.� Life is a series of seasons bringing unforeseen challenges but there are beauty and purpose in each moment. After much mindfulness and thought I can appreciate the harshest of days past because it is in these experiences where we receive our greatest gift; the realisation of our true strength and a glimpse into our greater purpose. It is because I know the struggle that I rejoice unapologetically in the sweetness of all triumphs. This Aussie spring season marks a significate life transition as I prepare my two sons for graduation. My eldest is embarking on a journey into University life and my youngest a fulltime career in the creative arts and both relocating overseas. This moment marks the commencement of a new life for them and a new season for me. My soul is in bloom and the opportunities are endless as I and am introduced to my
