A Seasonal Life
“Every season is one of becoming, but not always one of blooming. Be gracious with your ever-evolving self.”
I have spent the last 8 years managing my own award winning catering business featuring Tasmania’s finest produce. It has been a time where I have been most ‘myself’, absorbed in connecting people over shared food experiences. And whilst I will continue to do this in the future, I am sure it will look a little different than it has in the past, as I also look to explore other interests I have not made the time for previously.
I have long wanted to try my hand at writing, as words have always enthralled me, whether it be through literature, music or poetry. I am also keen to enjoy more travel than I have been able to with 6 children. Whilst I have done a little over the years, there is much more of the world I would like to see and explore. I have also been dabbling in some photography courses and am learning how to grow my own food.
In short, ‘A Seasonal Life’ is an invitation for you to ‘come along for the ride’ as I adapt to the changes this new season presents and focus on becoming a new version of myself. I will share various aspects or ‘seasons’ of my life, what I have learned from my experiences and how I have dealt with the challenges. Please note: I am not qualified to teach you anything. This space is not for me to say what is right or wrong, only what has or hasn’t worked for me.
I would love for you to join the conversation in the comments section of each story (article) with your own thoughts.
Featured Stories
Welcome to ‘A Seasonal Life’, a space for me to share my thoughts, experiences and stories on living a life that embraces the seasons. From growing and cooking seasonal food, to exploring new and interesting places, or facing the challenges that life throws at us - I will explore all the facets of how adapting to the seasons has impacted on my life.
My name is Larna. I am a 50 something year old mother of 6 adult kids, living in the Heartlands region of Tasmania, Australia, where the changes of seasons are breathtakingly beautiful. I am embarking on a new season of my life as our 6 children are all grown and making their way in the world with their own partners and families. It was meant to be time for me to enjoy with my partner and husband of 25 years, Davide - however, life does not always go to plan. In August, 2024 he was diagnosed unexpectedly with terminal brain cancer and I am now facing a very different future. Suddenly the picture I had of this Autumn season of my life, is not looking the way we had planned it.
What Does It Mean to Live with the Seasons?
For me, living with seasons means adapting to the natural rhythms of the environment. It is all about adjusting my lifestyle, habits and activities to embrace seasonal changes. This includes embracing seasonal eating, enjoying seasonal activities and appreciating the changes of the seasons so I can benefit from a deeper connection to my environment and the cycles of nature.
It also means adjusting my thinking and priorities to learn the lessons presented in various seasons of my life. From childhood, to being newly married, having a young family, building a career and business to now, adjusting to an empty nest, my experience of life has been different. Life events have also had a huge impact. I have been through a divorce, been a single mum, been estranged from my family, remarried, become a step-mother, a grandmother and am currently facing the loss of my life partner to brain cancer, becoming a widow and an ‘empty-nester’. Needless to say, all of these events have changed the course of my life and required adjustments.
As I move forward into this next ‘season’ of my life - through the grief and fear and overwhelm - as I find my way to a new version of myself, I hope to be able to share my thoughts and experiences with you. I know it will help me to better understand myself. I only hope what I share will also be of benefit to you somehow.