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Changing Seasons 8/1/2005 5:34:52 AM
It seems like a strange time to talk about a change in seasons but around here in Maine things happen at times that seems odd. For example, summer began just about overnight. One day the weather was cold and rainy while overnight it changed to hot summer with humid but beautiful days. The same appears to be true about fall. Every year my wife and I comment on how around August 1st or 2nd something happens in the air. A change begins that is indescribable but perceptible to those who are attuned to the rhythms of nature. Something seems to click and the air become clearer, the nights become cooler, and the overall feel becomes new.
Do you notice these changes in your part of the world? Can you perceive a subtle change in the atmosphere where life seems to begin to wain as summer gives way to fall? It's kind of like climbing a hill where once you reach the top you give that sigh because you can see what lies beyond. You can envision a new vista before you that perhaps reminds you of times or places gone by.
This change reminds me of my childhood when as a family we would always spend the month of August by the sea enjoying the various activities that living by the ocean provides. I can still feel the cool water as it lapped against my legs and can taste the salty flavor of the oceans caress. I live close to the ocean today so can at times get that salty air. Even the smell of the ocean gives me a reflection of those times gone by and the changes I've made during my life.
Changing seasons is a simple metaphor for the changes we endure in life. From the freshness of birth (spring) to the tiredness of becoming older (fall) we can learn each year that changes bear forth fruit and that fruit can be beautiful, tasty, and full of delight. As I become older I see things from a different perspective. I can look back and see how the changes that I've gone through in my life have contributed to the person I am today. I can be a witness to the truth that change brings wonder into our lives and allows our soul to steer us in the direction of our dreams.
Each life is different and each undergoes change at different rates and at different times but each can use these changes to grow, improve, and to create a better world. Why focus on the winter to come when we have so much to see, do, and feel during the moments of life? Why see darkness during a time when darkness is a minor part of our day? Why not look beyond winter to the spring that will come and realize that rebirth is not only possible but occurs regularly all over the universe. Why should we be any different because after all we are made from the fabric of the universe.
As you go through this years seasonal change use it to remind yourself of the beauty of your life. Use it to see beyond today into the tomorrow that will come. Begin to see the coming change as an opportunity to create a new world and to make that new world a creation full of wonder. It is your time to see things differently and to begin anew. Take the time needed to see, feel, and absorb this time of year and to remember the seasons of your life. You will then understand how each season brings new opportunities to become complete and whole.
