Finding stillness

We don't always know where life will place us. But when we stop trying to control, when we soften our grip, we discover that stillness has its own wisdom.

Now it begins to settle. More awareness. More noticing.

The reciprocity of place.

I have traded the pulse of Málaga,
the honking horns, the relentless heat of summer, the restless rhythm of a vibrant city, life-affirming sunrises on the beach,
for the chiming of church and bicycle bells, the soft grey sky, cool green aliveness, gentle cows grazing, soft sunsets on the river.

Here, life has slowed.
My days move like the river itself.

Quiet, steady, full of grace.

It is what I needed.
And somehow, life knew before I did.

This arrival feels less like my plan and more like life’s plan for me.

I didn’t resist, didn’t overthink it, didn’t disagree.

Life takes care of us in ways I am still learning.

Even in the hurt,

light shines through the broken places.

The cracks become the openings where beauty finds its way out to others.

And here, even friendship feels different.
In Málaga, friendship came without years, yet carried great depth and richness.
And here I sit with a friend of decades,
and find myself just beginning
to see her. Experiencing her incredible brilliance as if I never knew it before.

Time and depth dance in their own mysterious balance.

All around me, beauty,
flowers spilling from doorsteps,
lanterns glowing softly in windows,
spaces arranged with effortless care.
Not just in one or two homes,
but everywhere,
a collective artistry,
a quiet devotion to beauty.

A bounty curated within and without…

Spain dazzled with its bright light and bold colours,
its vibrancy pulsing through the streets.

Here, the beauty is subtle, quiet,
woven into daily life.

It brings me softness.

It embraces me with tender warmth.

It steadies my nervous system.

It whispers in my ear and gently holds my hand.

It welcomes me with kindness and gifts me with time to explore…

The rhythm of flamenco will always live in my blood.

And now, so will this softer song of Zutphen.

Because both belong to me, the fire and the quiet, the pulse and the stillness.

And, perhaps that is the true reciprocity of place.

Each one shaping me, each one leaving its music in my soul.

Here I am.

Here it is.

Stillness, finding me.