Snow in April

I’m writing this blog whilst looking out of the window as snow is falling in Greater Manchester and yes, it is 11th April! Strange that only a week or so ago we were basking in 70 degree heat and I was contemplating getting my summer gear from the back of the wardrobe and doing the bi-annual clothes shuffle, packing away my jumpers for another winter.  

Shakespeare said ‘Expectation is the root of all heartache’ which is true in all aspects of our lives from the friendships we make, the job we do, the possessions we own and the intimate relationships we form.  When something breaks we find we are surprised and dismayed. This happened this week when both the washing machine and dishwasher decided to give up the ghost simultaneously. How inconvenient! It was as if they conspired to make my Easter holiday less enjoyable! We are disappointed not because the thing, the object isn’t working anymore, it’s because of our expectation that it should be working and our frustration that it no longer is!

I’m looking out of the window at the falling snow with the sun shinning through it, looking at my friends Facebook posts of their snowy pics.  We are dismayed that it is April and that by now we ‘should’ be seeing some sunshine, I should be dragging out my lighter less thermal clothes but life isn’t like that. The reason for our disappointment is down to our expectation of it.  We set the bar of expectation and when it isn’t met we feel we’ve been somehow wronged! 

A lovely Danish friend of mine shared this beautiful story on my snowy Facebook post; ‘when all the months were handed their weather April was playing and came too late.  April started crying and all the other months felt sorry so they gave April a bit of their weather and that’s why April can surprise us with warm sunny days and soon after winter temperatures and snow!’

I absolutely love this story.  As someone who lives her life in Nature and considers herself a child of this universe it makes me smile.  Whenever I am in Nature I am reminded that there are no expectations and trying to control things is pointless.  In the presence of Nature there are no judgements, no ego, only eco. Nature and all of the beings that inhabit this beautiful planet know this already.  Plants don’t don’t rush, creatures are not scrabbling impatiently to get from A to B in the quickest time possible.  They also don’t elbow others out of the way in the process.  

I’ve always found it funny that we call ourselves the ‘human race’ - what is the race and why are we always running? Other beings must look us at us and laugh! Nature teaches us so many things but the biggest lesson of all for me is to slow down, to not rush, to be still. Nature reminds us that we are human ‘beings', not ‘doings’, that we can let go of all expectations.  If snow falls in mid April then so be it - embrace it.  When we are in relationship with Nature as our ancestors were, when we feel connected to our planet we can let go of our need to control outcomes and are free to experience the true joy of life, just the way it is.

If you’d like to develop and deepen your nature connection then join us at Nature Escapes.  The next Forest Bathing session, come rain, snow or sunshine is happening on 17th April 2-4pm.  This is a remotely guided session so you can join from anywhere in the world. Click here; 

Our next wellness in Nature weekend is ‘Water in Summer’ from 11th-13th June in beautiful Northumberland.  See our events here.