These days I have been gathering small things: some dry branches for a vase, two or three loose ideas in a notebook, the summer clothes that must be put away now.
Gathering without hurry is an art I am learning. It is not about finishing, it is about caring for what remains. Folding each garment as if giving thanks, leaving space between things.
Today I saw someone who wanted to solve everything at once. She found it hard to accept that some processes need their time, like fruit ripening on the branch.
I told her about my wardrobe, how putting away summer is also preparing for the cold. It is not about emptying, but about making room.
In the afternoon I sat down to write down what this month has been. I was surprised to see how much fits into four weeks when they are not filled with noise.
Gathering without hurry is, in the end, a way of saying: I was here, I lived this, I leave this.