Look around!
Each spring, life renews.
The plants in our gardens, the trees around our homes, and everywhere there are signs of the unfurling and unfolding that come with this season of lively renewal.
In these conditions, it’s not unusual to feel the stirrings of a new or forgotten energy within our being. For some there may be a restlessness, like an itch that needs to be scratched. For others, perhaps it’s that so many fresh, new ideas are tumbling over themselves to get your attention and become actual. For me, this year, it’s a bit of both. It’s been a long and difficult winter for me and my family, with the loss of my beloved brother, Roger, and as I pass through the stages of grief and remembrance I find myself inspired, sad, determined, and grateful. And now that spring has sprung, I’m connecting with this renewing energy for my work and the expression of all that is good in my life.
So, what to do with this energy – the ideas that come faster than I can manage to write them down?
As always, I’m a work in progress…
…but here’s what I’ve been up to so far.
I’ve just returned from a week in Germany, staying with my beautiful friend and teacher, Ute Strub. At 88, Ute is still delivering seminars, advice and training to any who ask for it. She’s a busy woman! And my reasons for visiting were threefold.
Firstly, having been invited some time ago, I realised that going now would be good for my soul. Spending time with Ute is always joyful and thought-provoking, and with my loss still so fresh, I hoped that this trip would allow me to re-find some balance. Having spent time with Ute in my family home in Sussex after a seminar a few years ago, I knew that we would find plenty to do and talk about.
The next incentive was the thought that we would be able to deliver our seminar together – in one place – like the days before when Ute was still travelling the world. This we achieved – if only from different rooms of the house because of technical issues with laptops and microphones.
And finally – and perhaps at the moment most importantly – we had much work to do on the translation of the book – Entfaltungen by Elfriede Hengstenberg – into English (Unfoldings). Ute put this book together many years ago with interviews, notes and photographs from Hengstenberg. Ute was herself one of Hengstenberg’s students. The book was a labour of love.
And so it is for me.
Having been working on this for some time, I was so happy to be able to go through the first draft with Ute and tackle the various phrases and descriptions that Hengstenberg had used in such particular ways and that could so easily be misinterpreted. But I was doubtful that we would get as far as we did.
This last week has been one of joyful contemplation of the nuances of the English language, as well as Ute’s native German. We’ve laughed so much we had to stop. We’ve shared stories from our own experiences relating to this wonderful work that Hengstenberg developed. And, despite my doubts, we managed to get through almost all of the 200-odd pages!
We’ve also cooked, eaten well and spent many hours in the garden.
Now that I’ve returned home, I’m determined to keep the energy flowing, keep the inspiration alive, and double down on the work I want to do in order to continue my own development and sharing of the teaching I’ve received – am still receiving.
My next projects are to promote, organise and take part in Stefan Laeng’s seminar in May, continue my Pikler training in May and June, and develop some kind of online community for parents of little ones to come and enjoy the benefits of some of this wonderful sensory and playful work for themselves alongside caring for their children.
My dream...?
...to open a centre for people to come and experience the wonder and satisfaction of Ute’s Natural Unfolding, Pikler’s self-regulated play and movement, Hengstenberg’s amazing insights, and much more.
Like the leaves and flowers gradually unfolding themselves around us - to fulfil the potential for which they are created - each moment for me has the potential to lead me towards the fulfilment of this dream, and each day it comes just that little bit closer to becoming a reality.