It's Week 13 of lockdown here in the UK. Of course, circumstances have changed somewhat - some shops have opened up, you've got to wear a face covering whilst using public transport and people have been gathering in groups to enjoy the weather, which has perked up significantly. I mean, it's almost summertime after all. People are venturing out of their houses unashamedly. Who else is making an entrance? Plants. Never have I ever been so excited about plants. Two years ago I bought a sunflower from Columbia Road and was beyond ecstatic, only for it to die around a week later. Let's just say that after that, I fell into a deep pit of despair (okay, not really - but I did vow to lay off the plants for a good while. Sounds a bit like an addiction...might be now.) Since refurbishing my room earlier in the year however, I decided to spruce things up by getting my hands on some indoor greenery, to show that not only am I the type of millennial who buys cacti for the sake of it, but that I am also able to nurture something whilst it nurtures me (that's the thing about plants - you look after them and they in turn improve your quality of life.) I've got quite a selection of plants now, including several bad bois who reside elsewhere in the house such as my tomato plant and my sunflowers (I decided to try growing them from scratch this time.) It's all very exciting. Last Sunday I was asked to share something for church, and I decided to talk about my plants as well as the subject of growth because (in case you didn't realise) the two are inextricably linked, and I think there's also something to be said about the subject of growth in relation to the lockdown period. I said that during these past thirteen weeks, a comfort for a lot of people has been watching nature take its course whilst the rest of the world stands still. We've slowed down significantly, but the seasons continue to pass and it's been a nice reminder that things will inevitably change for us. There have also been less distractions and more room to self-reflect, which for some is a scary thing. Normally we go through life having so much to do - and we rarely take the time to just properly chill and process our emotions, a lot of which are often uncomfortable. We're spending all our time with ourselves at the moment, but I think it's a beautiful opportunity to check our own growth. How have you been helping yourself grow this year? I feel like I've really gotten to know the introverted part of Rhiannon during lockdown, the person who loves comfort and aesthetics and silence and educating myself in private. I've also grown in terms of my craft - my writing, I believe, is only getting better, and that's super exciting. I feel like I've probably grown spiritually - learning to trust in God because at the end of the day, humans are never going to be able to control everything around them, and there are good things promised for the future! I've also learnt more about relationships - setting boundaries, taking people as they come and showing PATIENCE. I can't believe how patient I've become - I'm pretty sure when I was younger I found it difficult to wait for virtually anything! The key to this self-growth is to actually acknowledge that you deserve it and that you need to take care of yourself for it to happen. If you're surrounding yourself with positive relationships, are concentrating on things you enjoy and make you feel fulfilled and are allowing you to self-reflect, progression will come as a natural byproduct. I know I'm stating the obvious here, but plants need all the water and the sunlight and the care and attention they can get. Without it, they'll never flourish, and will waste away before they've reached their full potential. It's crazy how much we're changing literally everyday. This is the thing about 2020 - it's been a unique year, not necessarily for the right reasons, but instead of seeing it as something we just need to get through, something we will always resent, why don't we see this as a major learning curve? I hope you guys have a fantastic rest of your week!
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