I was recently given a gift of time to set up a new office space. With the passionate affirmation of Virginia Woolf’s words ringing in my mind, I began to embrace the privilege and responsibility I felt in creating ‘a room of one’s own’. The basics were pretty straightforward – desk, chair, location of plugs, white board, computer and printer setup. But, what sorts of wall décor would be best? Motivational quotes, educational infographics, personal memorabilia, Zen photos? In the end, I decided to not decide and just let it unfold.
While I was at the grocery store, a lonely, back-shelf cactus called me over. She needed a home, and I needed a friend. I really do like the symbolism of a cactus – resilient, thrives even in difficult conditions, prickly but beautiful, can’t be over-loved or it will not thrive. I can relate. She has found a home on my office windowsill. And then, in the console of my car was my souvenir acorn, a memory of a fall walk with my daughter, with her cap still intact! Another beautiful symbol – a tiny, hard-shelled seed that, when planted, takes root and grows into a strong, magnificent tree. And so the acorn too has found a home on my office windowsill, beside her new friend, the cactus. I could name them, but that would be weird. I’ll just leave them to sit as reminders of strength, resilience, and embracing the sometimes prickly, hard unfolding of things.
