Hello there! It's Jocelyn Mathewes from my studio in Appalachia. And I’m seeing a parallel between adapting to the seasons and adapting to chronic illness flares.
The dark and the cold of winter here in East Tennessee means that my garden is falling asleep. The perennials have dropped their seeds, and wait for the sun to return so they can grow.
In much the same way, when I experience a flare or dip in functioning, I have to find ways to hibernate—expending less energy while still moving forward.