Thresholds

A threshold is a doorway, a place where something begins, a point where things change once crossed.

The root of the word, thresh, means to separate the wheat from the chaff, the seed from the husk. It is also associated with the word thrash, suggesting that this process sometimes takes a lot of effort and struggle.

Other similar words that have been rolling around in my mind are winnowing, sifting, shedding - finding what matters most and separating it from what doesn't matter at all. Possibly feeling a little bare and vulnerable, but also strengthened.

July has been a month of thresholds for me:

• I marked my 40th birthday with a holiday in Victoria's alpine region
• I supported a family from pregnancy through to postpartum
• I held space for three more families waiting to cross this birth threshold in the next month or so
• I celebrated the first birthday of two babies (and mothers) that I supported into the world last year

Life has so many thresholds. Everything always shifts and changes. Sometimes this brings a sense of perspective or new possibilities, other times it feels chaotic or just downright scary.

Taking time to reflect at thresholds helps me immensely. I journal, collage, make mental notes or lists of the things that have changed. Or shifts that have happened before that resonate with this one. Or things I am letting go to focus on what really matters.

Bushwalking in the snow on my birthday left me feeling deeply connected to myself and my country. Throughout the whole trip I was able to celebrate my specific needs and savour what matters most to me. It renewed my vitality, curiousity and sense of place within time.

May you also experience meaningful thresholds and have the space to sort out what really matters to you,

Emily