When The Light and Colour Gets Back In
If you live in the northern hemisphere too, I’m sure you are overly familiar by now with the colour grey.
If January had a colour it would definitely be that. And I don’t know about you but I don’t do so well with grey weather.
I love autumn and the rain. I love February with its snow and blue skies followed by higher temps.
But January… Its Dutch greyness turns my already fragile mind into an impenetrable, darkened place where any light immediately gets sucked in like a black hole never to be seen again.
Until that first day when we see a streak of something colourful peek out from behind those clouds, and suddenly it feels like all the black gets cleared away by the blue, as if in a Looney Tunes cartoon.
My village changes too when the sun returns. People come out of their houses to soak up its rays and tidy their front gardens. The hello’s when you pass another human come out more chipper and even the sound of garden equipment is less of a nuisance as we know they are readying their backyard for spring to properly arrive.
I have stood to soak up those rays and got to photograph the first crocuses last week. All purple and green and fresh.
Renewal
Renewal. We talk about it every year, but this year it feels more poignant.
So many of us lost sight of ourselves in the insanity that is 2025, too occupied by worrying, fearing and raging.
Renewal reenergises. Renewal clears the air. It makes room for the new and for the return of our energy to fight the good fight.
While the grey of January had me locked inside myself, there was one thing that kept reminding me of what comes after.
Every week me and my mum would buy ourselves a bouquet of tulips, adding colour to a colourless time.
Each week a new bouquet grew and bloomed, full of colour with its big fresh green leaves poking out of their vase this way and that.
And all it needed for it to blossom and flourish each new day was simply for light to touch it.
Welcome spring, with all your shades of light.
Sandra Postma
Posted on 12 March 2025 on Substack
Subscribe to my blog Lessons from a Life Shaped By Chronic Illness
Subscribe to my newsletter for writers with chronic illness
Recent Blog Posts
When Choosing Is Necessary But Feels Impossible
So many ideas, so little time & energy I admit my adhd has a part to play in this, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you related to it as well: the difficulty that comes with choosing. Choosing which story to focus on. Which character to have as a protagonist. Which plot twist. Which ending.…
Modern vs Past Writers Facing Fierce Criticism
What we have in common with writers like Chaucer, Shelley and Twain is having to deal with critics Writing a book is hard. It takes a lot of time, even more energy and yet more courage to actually publish it. Because on the other side of that publish button, lies a whole jungle filled with…
What to Say to Your Imposter-Voice
We both get that nagging voice that tells us we’re no good Do you ever get hit by imposter syndrome? That feeling that you’re not good enough at something? The procrastination or paralysis that comes from that, do you recognise that? I’m almost laughing because what a stupid question, of course you do. To be…
Leave a Reply