The landscape is crisp with cold
and the crackling slumber of the winter season,
but for the winter berries.
They cling to the last of color in this pristine palate of
ice and fumbled sunlight.
No matter how hard the push of the wind,
no matter how cruel the dragging claws of frost, they cling to all they know:
fruit to stem
stem to twig
twig to branch
branch to trunk
trunk to roots that dig deep into a frozen river
and the faint echo of an aquifer in the deeper realms
of a warm mantle.
In winter, all things tremble, but not everything lets go.
If you’re in the winter of your life,
hang on.
Hold on.
Spring will come.
What a beautiful post. Touches me…in the coldest, emptiest spot…
Hanging on!
xoxo
heath
I needed this so very badly today. Thank you, Jillian.
"If you're in the winter of your life,
hang on.
Hold on.
Spring will come."
Part of what makes winter so sweet is the knowledge that soon the sun will shine brighter, the crocus will spring forth, and the trees will bud again. I'm still hoping for some snow here in St. Louis (enough to build a snowman at least), but at the same time I'm dog-earing seed catelogs and planning a berry patch.
The earrings make me happy,the words make me smile-for every winter ends in spring.
I spied these in your sold bin, and my heart did a little flip flop. I am such a sucker for asymmetry–especially when when found in GAW-juss plummeria baubles. My nose is a little crooked, and I like to make it feel at home.
😉
Lovely post, lovely earrings. I adore the branch.
Lovely post…plain and simple!
xox
Ti's beautiful indeed!
Winter is a wild ride, yet it reveals to us our strengths…
Ah…this post seems so very appropriate for me personally right now. Thank you for that, J.
Lovely & very cool (pun intended) earring set! 🙂
Whew!
Luckily I just missed needing this post. It is very beautiful though.
Love the unmatched, forever!
xo
a
loverly as always jsl. LOVE the earrings.
had to come back and ADORE again:) yep…they are–incredible. my heart pumped a littel harder when i saw these ones!
I've been in the darkest of days of winter for months.
Reading these words have brightened my day! thank you, plume.
and boy, if I had the means I would gobble this pair up like the sweet berries they are!
love love love
that sweet little articulated branch!
At this point in winter, clinging berries and staunchly upright cattails are beacons of hope–as well as the fact that in fewer than eight weeks, Canada geese will be returning to this patch of prairie!!
Eight weeks (or less) seems like such a small portion of time these days….
Lovely earrings and poetry, Jillian!
love.
love love!
the days are getting longer…
Ohhh, im lovin these earrings.. I love Anything lacking symmetry.. And branches and Berries, My favorite winter sight.. 🙂
Dang girl!~ You know how to make some fine jewelry! Love your uniqueness and style! You go mama!!
I think we all seriously needed to hear "hold on..Spring will come."
Sweet sweet reminder
Love to you!
will it come?
this made me cry. thanks a lot.
but no really…thanks.
You are my favorite winter berry.
You are the most tenacious winter berry.
The days grow longer.
There's more light to live in…
Beautiful, Jillian. Absolutely. The words, the metaphors, the earrings, everything. You are an inspiration. So gifted.
You have a way Mrs Plume,
with your words,
and your handswork,
and your heart.
It is truth,
and beauty, and grace…
Thank you…I needed that, 'tis very wintry over here indeed!
Loving your asymmetrical earbobs!
Thank you all SO much for these really lovely comments and thanks for connecting with this design and the thoughts behind it!
*standing ovation*
for "Stepping Over Thresholds"
brilliant.
profound.
Bravo Jillian.
xo
Andrea
Thank you Andrea.
I've never put too much weight on degrees, I'm still "finishing" my own at BHSU…
I may get back there…
who knows. I don't wan to. Its lost it's allure.
Great to know youre following your path, wearing it down well… as you always do, lead the way lovely.
Lead on.
M
Are the comments disabled on the newest post? I hope it is ok to comment on this post.
First, I will never regret the time I spent finishing my Psychology degree. It was a pain, the teachers were dull, and most of it was irrelevant, but when I found myself pregnant without a husband (Yikes) I was able to work a job that paid me enough to live comfortably. My friend in the same situation without a degree had to work at Pizza Hut and I was grateful every day I could work for about triple the pay she did and not be as swollen at the end of the day.
A degree prepares you to "jump through the hoops" and that is all.
That said, Jillian, you have such talent you would likely never be knocked up, alone, working at Pizza Hut. I think you made the right decision. (Although I can't imagine what talent has to do with being pregnant…anyway).
In my opinion, you're not like 99 percent of the rest of us who, like you said, need that degree to be somebody. I can't imagine what a diploma could add to the sweetness of your success. You will likely never need to apply for a job where they want you to prove you can "jump through hoops" by providing a copy of your diploma.
Feel free to delete this comment as it is a complete rant and probably could be considered completely presumptuous.
Melissa
P.S. "But for the winter berries" made me cry too.
Thank you for your comments girls:)