Image via.
Change seems to be the theme of this week for me.
A triptych of musings on the subject:
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After my post on hummingbirds vs. jackhammers earlier this week, I polled my Magpie readers on Instagram to determine which prototype they associated most with. I was surprised to find that 19% of you identify as jackhammers (consumed by a singular, life-long passion) and 81% as hummingbirds (moving from tree to tree).
Wow! We need to tap into the knowledge base here. If you identify as a hummingbird, I’m wondering specifically:
+how have you learned to accommodate change? key tips?
+how do you know when to move from one tree to the next? I imagine intuition plays a strong role here, and perhaps that is the secret of the hummingbird (a fine attunement to instinct). Not to make things too gimmicky, but a hummingbird has a hippocampus roughly 5x the size of other birds, which helps it efficiently understand where to find food. In other words, they have developed, over time, abilities that enable them to thrive in this one aspect of survival: knowing which flowers to visit, and which to skip. Have you developed any systems or strategies for knowing when to move on? What has worked?
+how do you practice openness to new opportunities when it can occasionally feel like you are being held in place by thousands of invisible hands?
Please weigh in via the comments!
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By chance, I happened to also be reading the section of Edith Hamilton’s Mythology this week about Circe, who is often considered “the goddess of change,” less so for her own accommodation of it (although we could talk at length about her incredible strength in this regard) and more because she was known for transforming men into pigs (and, once, a woodpecker). I was thinking later about how many goddesses — in mythology and in my own life — demonstrate remarkable facility with change. Perhaps it is in our nature; our very physiologies depend on cyclicality.
In my favorite Greek myth, the one in which Demeter walks to the ends of the earth to find her daughter, Persephone, the strangling outcome is that their reunion will be intermittent. Persephone will return to the underworld for six months of the year, and Demeter will mourn her absence for the duration. The world blooms when they are together and withers when they are apart. (“She was how she kept time” comes to mind here.) On the surface level, the story of Demeter and Persephone offers a pat explanation for the turn in seasons. On an emotional level, it is a shrine to endurance in the face of change, and maternal commitment against all odds.
By the way, I absolutely love this painting of Demeter mourning Persephone by Evelyn De Morgan (1906). The rich draping and sheen of the robes against the desolate, barren earth, the s curve of her form — echoed by the winding water and contrasted with the rocky peaks, the falling of the red poppies. A lot of movement if you think about it. If you’re looking for a creativity prompt today, complete a close reading of this painting — its formal composition, its mood, its palette, the stories it is telling, the words and feelings it evokes.
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I feel that my roles as mother and writer ask me to continuously remake myself. I am the chrysalid pen; I am the metamorphic mother. I am reminded always of the mother rabbit in The Runaway Bunny, evolving to meet her child wherever he goes.
“If you become a rock on the mountain high above me,”
said his mother, “I will become a mountain climber,
and I will climb to where you are.”
When I was young, I read the book as a portrait of the constancy of a mother’s love, which it is, of course. But it is also about the way mothers transform themselves as they pass through each new frame of matrescence. Here, too, I think about Cerridwen, the Welsh goddess of transformation, who changes herself into a greyhound, and an otter, and a hawk, and a high-crested black hen, in pursuit of her son. There is no place, no form a child can dream of that his mother won’t figure out how to get to, or adapt herself into becoming. (Wow!)
Post-Scripts.
+On maintaining wonder as a parent.
+What’s the kindest thing a stranger has ever done for you?
Shopping Break.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.
+Julia Amory just launched a few gorgeous new items, including this lovely white dress (so versatile — would pack for a warm weather getaway and pair with brown leather sandals and a leather trim straw tote) and this knit short set. (JEN-15 for 15% off!)
+It was a week of launches, actually – Hill House also just dropped their spring collection, and I love the lean lines and sweet print on this dress. I also absolutely love their Cosima dress, which I own in two prints. The latest one is very chic. The elongated bodice makes it feel more modern/fresh than some of the styles they are better known for. It’s also easy to layer beneath a cardigan or jacket for a different look.
+Finally, Doen dropped gorgeous spring arrivals and generously invited me to pick one. I chose the Leanne dress in the pretty jardina de la fontaine print! This silhouette is so chic and the pattern gorgeous.
+Our new favorite J. Crew pant style, in new colors! I own and love these in the khaki. While we’re at J. Crew, this dress turned my head in the black!
+I’ll be honest – I’ve tried and abandoned many clean/non-aluminum-containing deodorants. I know there is this two week adjustment period in which you must endure swampy pits as your body acclimates, but I cannot stand it! I’ve decided I’m going to give Megababe’s new “skincare deodorant” a try though. It includes unique ingredients that balance pH, kill odor causing bacteria, and absorb moisture. The scents are incredible, too. Apparently these have been very popular, because the santal scent is waitlisted already! Try the coco (still in stock) or peach!
+My friend Mackenzie was raving about these inexpensive turmeric and kojic acid cleansing pads! Had to order!
+Margaux is running a fantastic archive sale. Perfect time to pick up a pair of their iconic ballet flats in this gorgeous cornflower blue or versatile silver. Chanel vibes for $129. I also own and adore these ankle wrap leather sandals, but only a few sizes left in the sale color! I find the sizing is very accurate.
+A reader wrote to rave about this denim chore jacket ($59!), which I missed in my latest roundup of great Quince finds!
+My fave running earbuds are on sale! I’ve written a lot about these, but they are super comfortable, do not fall out of ears, and safer (you can hear ambient noise / footfall / cars). I actually used these while in the dentist’s chair this week so I could still answer his questions but distract myself with an audiobook.
+Sweetest little ribbed diaper set for a baby girl — the ladybugs!
+LOVE this denim midi skirt. Can think of 1000 ways to style.
+My daughter turns eight (!) next month and we are having a little pottery painting party to celebrate. She specifically asked for a cat theme, so I picked up the cutest plates and napkins from Meri Meri and this funny banner. For party favors, I typically prefer to give out one bigger item, or a book, in lieu of a goody bag, and she requested Beanie Boos. I bought a bunch of different cat ones and will tie this tag to each!
+Re: the gift tags, I’ve been meaning to say how impressed I am with Minted? Like, I’ve known about it forever and I feel like most of the holiday cards we received are Minted, but I didn’t realize how much stuff they offer! They reached out to me last month and offered to send me some letterpress, so I ordered some for my husband, and then I’ve been finding all sorts of other things to buy there since, including the tags! I wouldn’t have even thought of the tags before. Anyhow, they are offering us 15% off with code JENSHOOP.