All the Small Things

The large tree in my garden (although, in truth, the tree just about makes up the whole garden) seemed to have turned yellow overnight. Trees decked in yellow, red and brown line most of the streets to and from the office and crisp mornings are quickly turning cold. I admit, the two seasons I love most are Autumn and Spring. Not too cold, not too hot – and I’ll just leave it there before I start sounding like a fairy tale.

My "Autumn Tree"

Shortening days are usually also the time when the passing of time between New Year and Easter and Easter and my birthday*† becomes all the more apparent. By this time those careful plans written out at the beginning of the year have most been left half-done or thrown out because there just isn’t enough time in a day to go around.

It’s those little unplanned things...

You make your New Year’s list of No-These-Aren’t-Really-Resolutions thinking that the worst coming your way is a bout of flu or a new pair of glasses and then you end up on crutches for over a month and suddenly realise again how lovely it is to be able to climb a flight of stairs while carrying a cup of tea. Your flu turns to infections leaving you on drips and too fatigued to concentrate on your studies after a day of work.

But you also meet new people, make new friends and in the dark hours find a hand to hold on to, even if that hand is on another continent.

So, all in all, the first four months of the year have been, at the very least, very interesting. And the next four? New beginnings, a very good friend getting married, some friends’ babies are due during the winter (though not the friend getting married) as well as “more of the same” as I try to catch up with all the study time I missed during the past few weeks**.

*The few days afterwards usually spent in constant existential crisis – which most often leads to eating more cake than is healthy.

† My birthday is halfway through the year.

** Yay for study leave!!

Perspective

The downside of planning posts beforehand is that there are some weeks where so much other STUFF happens that you get struck once more by just how much can happen in one week. Last Tuesday I switched on the radio just as I turned off my alarm clock; just in time to hear the words “two bombs exploded” – then an earthquake, flooding, one of the lecturers at UJ (myalma mater) murdered, and some very sad news from a friend. This has certainly been a week in which my heart and prayers have gone out to all those who have been touched by these events.