Layers of Growth, Seasoned by Time
A Metaphor for Your Life
I’ve been doing something I’ve never done before: laying a new wood tile floor. Why? Because these homemade tiles are a physical manifesto of who we are.
Using a drop saw, I’ve cut 100x100mm cypress posts into 1,300 individual tiles (with a top-notch assist from Jeremy during the cutting process). After I announced my foray into DIY, Instagram sent me a clip of a tradie in Canada cutting end-grain tiles, and I knew instantly: this is it. I saw the symbolic connection immediately.
These tiles reveal the concentric circles of a life well-lived. You can see the systematic expansion of time – rings that start small and swell with the seasons. There is a profound honesty in this wood; light and dark coexist here in an alluring map of growth. The swirling lines and deep knots mark the places where branches once reached for the sky, while the natural cracks speak of a resilience deeply rooted in their grounding.
Much like our own journeys, these tiles prove that the knots, shadows, and layers are exactly what make the pattern so compelling. It is a floor designed to be loved, looked at, and appreciated.
The Pulse of the Seasons: The Unseen Layers
To look at an individual tile is to see the tree’s heartbeat. The lighter, wider bands (earlywood) grew during the surge of spring, while the darker, denser lines (latewood) formed as life slowed in the approach of winter. These rings are the tree’s biological response to its environment.
The metaphor for you: These are the layers of your history. We all have rings formed during seasons of hardship – parts of ourselves that felt unseen, vulnerable, or invalidated. When you endured pain without an empathetic witness to validate your experience, those moments left "lines" within your internal grain. In adulthood, these can manifest as triggers, driving behaviours that perhaps no longer serve you. Just as the tree remembers every drought and every frost, your body remembers your past. Here, we acknowledge those layers without judgement.
Heartwood and Sapwood: The Honesty of Shadow
In the wood, you see a beautiful interplay of light and dark. This is the transition between the Sapwood – the youthful, living outer layer – and the Heartwood – the dense, seasoned core that provides structural strength.
The metaphor for you: We all carry a "shadow side." We hide parts of ourselves away out of shame, or a narrative that whispers, “I’m not good enough.” Perhaps you’ve made mistakes or unintentionally hurt those you love. But the darkness cannot survive where there is light, and the light only gains its brilliance in contrast to the dark. This floor is an invitation to find acceptance with your whole self – your honesty, your shadows, and your light, all occupying the same space.
The Character of Knots: Your Unique Signature
Those "weird," swirling lines are the echoes of ancient branches. Every knot is a point where a limb once reached for the light, leaving a permanent signature in the grain long after the branch was gone.
The metaphor for you: These knots represent the wonderful defiance of your individuality. In a world that demands we "fit in," these are your signature pieces. They are your scars, your "wobbly bits," and your uniquely vibrant colours. No tile is "normal," just as no soul is standard. Your knots are not flaws; they are the evidence of your specific, unrepeatable life.
Natural Resilience: The Beauty of Evolution
The cracks and faded parts in the cypress are called checks – tiny separations that occur as the wood seasons and breathes. They aren't signs of weakness; they are evidence of the wood’s incredible density and its ability to hold firm under pressure.
The metaphor for you: Despite the cracks and the faded patches, you remain structural and strong. This is your journey of evolution – the magnificent ability to carry on, to adapt, and to integrate everything that has come before. These tiles are a map of survival. Every ring has led you to this moment, to this room, and to the person you are today: seasoned by time, grounded in truth, and ready to grow again.
The Topography of the Soul
I’ll admit, the man on Instagram made this look much easier! I’ve had to learn new skills and navigate plenty of hurdles. A friend said to me when I hit a snag, “Gosh, I bet you wish you never started this project.” I just smiled and said, “No, not at all. It just makes me appreciate how I will do it even better next time.” I chose my attitude and kept moving forward.
When you come to see me in the Eden Rooms, I will ask you to take your shoes off and connect to the wood. I want you to feel the ground beneath your feet not merely as a timber floor, but as a mirror. Feeling acceptance in knowing your knots and cracks aren't flaws; they are the evidence of a journey seasoned by time.
In the wood, as in us, your light and dark can coexist, acting as your pathway for change and growth. By linking the physical anatomy of the cypress to the internal architecture of the human psyche, we find a tangible way to "walk through" your healing.
I am feeling very warm and fuzzy with joy today. Just one step to go before the big reveal.
Looking forward to connecting with you soon.
Fleur Elizabeth x
