The End Of A Relationship Is Not The End Of The World: How Nature Can Help Us Heal

I was talking with a friend the other day who’d been going through a hard time, following a breakup with his boyfriend. As you know, when I’m not on Essentially Pop, I am often to be found in my garden, so it’s not difficult to guess that when I gave him my advice on how to get through this pain, my mind turned to a garden analogy. Afterwards I thought it was something that a lot more people could benefit from, so, if you’ll forgive that this isn’t entertainment-related, and only really vaguely suitable for Essentially Food, I shall continue. Oh! Also remember I’m writing from the perspective of someone who lives in the U.K, so if your seasons don’t quite fit, please adjust accordingly. Also remember, this isn’t one size fits all, and “Your Mileage May Vary” – but if it helps one person, then it’s worth publishing.

Let us begin.

It’s sad because that’s a part of your life that’s ended…and you are in mourning. But it’s a new beginning for you and new beginnings are hard; but with time they get easier.

Think of the transition from winter to spring and then to summer. Spring is the real start of the new year but it takes a while for it to fully let go of winter; March is always a bit dodgy, and as we’ve seen with April and May this year it’s two steps forward and one step back. But once summer fully comes in, we hold on to the sunshine for as long as we can, and we resent any attempt of the cold to pull us back in. By the time the cold of winter returns, we’ve lost that attraction; we’re longing once again for the heat of summer.

So mourn for winter; and indeed, mourn for the summers past. But know that with spring comes new birth, new beginnings, and the chance to move on and make yourself anew. There will be other winters, for sure, but there will also be other glorious springs and summers, and those winters which we once held in our memories with a pang of regret will be replaced by others, equally, if not more, meaningful, and memorable.

About the author

Lisa has been writing for over 20 years, starting as the entertainment editor on her university newspaper. Since then she's written for Popwrapped, Maximum Pop, Celebmix, and ListenOnRepeat.

Lisa loves all good music, with particular fondness for Jedward and David Bowie. She's interviewed Edward Grimes (Jedward), Kevin Godley, Trevor Horn, Paul Young, Peter Cox (Go West), Brendan B Brown (Wheatus), Bruce Foxton (The Jam), among many many more. Lisa is also available for freelance writing - please email lisa@essentiallypop.com