The Case Of The Confused Cherry Tree

These days I need to turn my bedside light on in the morning and, once I've left the warmth of my cosy cocoon, snuggle into a possum and merino jumper (one of the few, and possibly best, presents I've ever given myself) and shuffle my feet into my slippers, before I make my way to the chill of the kitchen.

A change of season brings new rhythms.

For me, change is usually a mixture of anticipation and uncertainty, especially when something new is unfolding.

Last year, THIS happened in Autumn - do you see it?

This is the cherry tree I can see from my kitchen table as I write.

I wondered whether the same strange thing would happen again this year.

And then, last week..

... there it was ...

Autumn and Spring on the same tree at the same time.

Some leaves letting go. New buds appearing.

The first time I saw it, I found it confusing and unsettling.

Surely trees aren't supposed to do that?

But seeing it again this year, I found myself looking at it differently.

Change often arrives in ways we aren't expecting.

There are many times when letting go and beginning again happen together.

The loss of a dear one.

A health crisis.

A new home.

A new baby.

Menopause.

Retirement.

Or in my case, this Autumn, dialling back on a demanding business where I often worked 12-16 hours most days in favour of choosing to work a lot less and enjoy life a little more.

For years I treated hobbies as something separate from the serious business of life. Something to fit around work. Something to get to later. Something optional.

I often grumbled to myself about my husband reading his book while I continued like a stoic martyr, consumed by my work, on my noble path of ... I don't know ... what?

If I'm honest, writing for work out of necessity often weighed me down. Writing as a hobby brings a sense of fun and adventure.

This autumn, as I embark on my Reflections of a doodling writer (just because) the cherry tree has reminded me that work and hobbies can exist on the same branch, at the same time - without any explanation at all.