Late Summer Reflections: Holding on & Letting go
Here we are swept up in a university town by the back-to-school mindset “summer is over” but our recent weather, and the astronomical calendar say otherwise... We are still technically in the thick of summer. Honestly, as someone who spends all day outside it feels like we’re in a unique time between summer and fall and yet not wholly one or the other. In traditional Chinese medicine there is a fifth season referred to as “late summer” that takes place from mid-August into early September- which makes sense to me!
Even now, the daylight is shortening more each day. Butterflies have arrived on the farm and flit busily from flower to flower. The migrating monarchs who are passing through are noticeably more abundant this year. And with my regular refilling of our hummingbird feeders they are buzzing about too. It feels like a time of great flourishing right here right now. Our flower crops are some of the tallest and healthiest ones I’ve ever grown.
Farming often teaches us big lessons in both holding on and letting go. Savoring the good in the present moment (it will be over soon) and trying to shed the misfortunes/losses which we cannot control (these, too, will be over soon!)
Our serious farm labor challenges that have been going on for several years have pretty much disappeared now thanks to hosting two seasonal workers from Mexico (through the H2A temporary visa program) and a stellar locally-based crew working well together. We are caught up on farm projects and in a reasonable rhythm of work each week.
Last year I tracked my working hours through the growing season and they averaged between 55-72 hours each week, because of our crew shortages. I did work one 40 hour week and I was out of town for 3 days of it. Eek! That’s not a good recipe for sustaining a farm or a human. I knew this at the time, but also didn’t feel like I wanted to pull back or lose the momentum of things we had worked so hard to grow over the years. So I made a choice and made some huge, yet temporary, personal sacrifices to keep going and do all the things I had committed to. I had the long vision of this farm in mind. That time of stress and hardship forced me into totally different ways of planning for this year and doing this whole farming thing… and for that I’m grateful. Another lesson in big picture holding on and letting go.
Recently, I’ve been tuning my attention to the moments/experiences that feel like synchronicity or magic. And, you know, once you start looking for something you see it everywhere. It is a difficult time to be aware of the world with so many heartbreaking things happening to people around the globe, here in my close circles, and to our dear Earth. One of the main habits that is making it possible for me to stay engaged and feeling mostly good is looking for and noting extra special moments. Call it DELIGHT or magic or synchronicity or whatever you want…These ARE happening all the time. My wish is that you can notice them too. May these moments bring you strength, lightness, and a sense of wonder.
Thanks for reading these reflections. Now, what follows are some details about opportunities to experience the farm either at one of our workshops or by bringing flowers in your home weekly with our dahlia club for the month of September.
-Maggie