When August winds are turning
The fishing boats upon the sea
I watch ‘til they sail out of sight
The winter follows soon
I watch them drawn into the night
Beneath the August moon. (Sting)
Maybe it started on Thursday of last week. Dark ominous clouds forming in the bright August sky, posing a serious threat to our Out and About afternoon activities of adventure and exploring. Ten minutes of impressive hail. Blue sky and sunshine soon thereafter as if nothing had happened. Back to paradise.
By Friday, the strongest weather system of the Australian winter 2019 had hit south east Australia. A blustery weekend lying ahead of us. Sydney was in for a pummeling. Outside the classroom students’ hats and coats went flying, followed by garbage cans. No kids fortunately.
On Sunday, the stormy weather had over 70.000 runners participating in the City2Surf Run Sydney feel the chill. Wind chill – who would have thought that’s a thing in Downunder! Trading in my optimistic running shorts for gloves and a beanie, I let the wind propel me towards Bondi Beach. While the wind wasn’t always in my back, I made it to the iconic place of white sand and hunky topless lifeguards. Only to find that my Bondi Rescue Heroes were basically wearing turtlenecks. The disappointment!
It’s winter. Winter in paradise. From June until August. With August being the windiest month of the year. People wearing hats and scarves, winter coats and Uggs. Others are barefoot and go surfing. Snow in the Blue Mountains close by, bushes in bloom in the city. Christmas Market and Beach Runs. It’s a little confusing.
With temperatures plummeting, so was my mood. Grey, overcast skies, gusty winds around me – I guess even in paradise you get to feel a little blue sometimes. Feeling “a bit crook” with my throat on a nice toasty fire. Missing my family back home celebrating my #4 son’s sweet 16th birthday at the beach (in the heat!). Binge watching dystopian movies on Netflix probably didn’t help lighten the mood. I’m just having a bit of a whing!
So how do you weather the storm in paradise? Unslump yourself in Downunder?
You get up in the morning, get yourself a nice cuppa coffee, catch the bus to school, soak up the beauty of the sun rising over the ocean. The bus driver wishing you a good day, a message from home, colleagues greeting you with a nice bright smile, an unexpected hug, flowers on your desk, kids telling to stay forever. Paradise.
Being on my own has made me so much more aware of my surroundings and the people around me. Has taught me to enjoy the silence and peace of my new home, the faint sound of surf in the distance, the rustling of the palm leaves in the wind. August winds.
And if gets too quiet, I crank up that brand new stereo system of mine – a gift of yet another kind person here in paradise. She’ll be right. Everything is fine.
Thoughts From the Upside Down 
Life is messy. It is unpredictable and tough, with unforeseen twists and turns. It is a beautiful, pulsing masterpiece, too.
The world spins, seasons bleed into each other. Chapters of our lives end; new ones begin.
We transform.
Forever growing, bursting, realizing, deepening, feeling, learning, speaking, rising, loving.
We are not meant to be stagnant.
The fibers of our souls roar on at a million miles an hour.
But in those moments when it feels like our blood is pooled in knots, our muscles are tangled, eyes weary, hearts uncertain…
As things shift and converge and break apart—
We can feel our feet on the ground.
We can find a clear sense of steadiness:
Who. We. Are.
As our tears puddle, as our guts moan with doubt, and our minds race with hope, and worry, and thoughts of all that could go wrong, and all that will be, and all that should be and should not be.
We can feel our feet on the ground.
We can notice the stability that exists within the dynamic skin of the spinning creature we are!
So let it happen.
And know the great paradox—know how still, focused, and resilient we are in the face of it all… (Elephant Journal)
X x x
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Beautiful. Thank you! ❤️
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