Summer Sadness or Autumn Anticipation?
Or possibly a mixture of all?
Summer days can seem an endless time and certainly with our Delphine collection I was reminiscing about the continual days of summer, luxuriating in those halcyon times of childhood holidays. In fact I was still there, enjoying my days, feeling the warmth on my back, wondering if we could squeak in a last minute week to Cape Cod….
Then suddenly I am given a sharp nudge into Autumn by almost every single blog, website, email subscription, catalogue, tweet and magazine I receive. It’s Fall fashion, Halloween décor, boots for Autumn – even my footsies are shouting NOOO from underneath my desk, we like our sandals!
I know this is not an uncommon lament and maybe the seasons appear to come around faster, the busier we are, but honestly the media world barely allows for one season / collection / should the President & Prime Minister go on vacation discussion / outfit / promotion etc to sink in, before they’re onto advertizing the next!
It seems to take the edge off the occasion, no sooner am I prancing around in my summer crop top, then I have to think about colour blocking on coats – no I wasn’t in a crop top, I leave that to the under 30s. But do you see my point? It’s the same with Halloween I was a little amazed at receiving brochures with solely 31 October decorations in them. Ideally I’d like to have 4 weeks of excitement oh beginning around 1 October to get psyched for All Hallows' Eve. Am I embracing middle age too far? Perhaps, but I truly adore the Autumn, just not in August.
Whilst this is of course the marketing and media world we live in and naturally it will only get faster as each outlet tries to be the first in announcing the next season’s “in” thing. I realized talking to a friend the other day, that this perpetual looking forward to the next excitement actually has quite a detrimental personal effect.
We were how we often found it difficult to stop thinking about the future and what was happening next and realized we missed fully enjoying the present. I like to think I am fully engaged when listening to people and really hear what they have to say. I try not to latch onto a word or phrase and then think about how I am going to answer or counteract it.
But I too find myself halfway through a month say and perpetually thinking about what to plan next. Being present is something maybe we should learn to do a little more often and really engage with the here and now, fully enjoy and bask in what is happening at that given moment.
My friend travels a lot visiting friends and family around the world and part of her gift as a Mother to her child is this exposure to other countries and customs – how special is that!?! But if she continues at their current pace, I wonder will they be able to appreciate and remember all the wonderful memories they may have created or will their travels be part of last year’s activities and onto to the next…….?
I think if you are at least aware of this happening to you, it is easier to take steps to remedy, hence my friend’s and my conversation. And whilst I may sound like an old record, I do sincerely advocate that small amount of time in the morning and last thing at night (preferably wearing a SoffiaB robe for additional serenity!!) as a time for calmness and a pop the brakes on the brain moment.
How do you feel about this in-between time? Relish it or resent it?
Meantime I am going to practice being present, I have a sneaky feeling it’s actually quite a laugh!
Look Gorgeous, Feel Fabulous – Sophie