General Informmation
It is a cliché to think of our lives as seasons. To poets, childhood is seen as Spring, Adulthood as Summer, etc. But, the problem with a cliché is that it tends to cut off any further exploration of an idea. I believe there is more that we can discover from this analogy of seasons of life when we expand it to seeing our lives as a series of life seasons. We experience more than one springtime of life as well as many winters. For the next few weeks we will be exploring ways to care for ourselves as these seasons come upon us.
Like all experiences, the various seasons of life offer us both opportunities and challenges. Whenever we feel life is beginning to blossom into a new time of growth, we can discover the joys of seeing the new emerge and the challenge of having to live with unknowns that lay in the not yet. In the Summers of our lives we can celebrate the abundance of light and vitality that it brings, but we must also endure storms that grow out of so much energy in and around us. When the Autumns begin to appear, we can bask in the beauty of a world at harvest but we must also deal with the knowledge that dying is part of life. Finally, when the Winters surround us, we have the opportunity to rest from our labors while dealing with the chill that comes from the dying that has now become a reality. Each season offers us both opportunity and challenge.
Over a lifetime, we will have the opportunity to grow through each season, learning how to accept the gifts they bring and live with he challenges they present. In the process, we discover resilience and the calm that grows out of the confidence of knowing that one season follows another. I invite you to consider your own life as a series of seasons through which you grow and become better equipped to take care of yourself no matter the circumstances.
Like all experiences, the various seasons of life offer us both opportunities and challenges. Whenever we feel life is beginning to blossom into a new time of growth, we can discover the joys of seeing the new emerge and the challenge of having to live with unknowns that lay in the not yet. In the Summers of our lives we can celebrate the abundance of light and vitality that it brings, but we must also endure storms that grow out of so much energy in and around us. When the Autumns begin to appear, we can bask in the beauty of a world at harvest but we must also deal with the knowledge that dying is part of life. Finally, when the Winters surround us, we have the opportunity to rest from our labors while dealing with the chill that comes from the dying that has now become a reality. Each season offers us both opportunity and challenge.
Over a lifetime, we will have the opportunity to grow through each season, learning how to accept the gifts they bring and live with he challenges they present. In the process, we discover resilience and the calm that grows out of the confidence of knowing that one season follows another. I invite you to consider your own life as a series of seasons through which you grow and become better equipped to take care of yourself no matter the circumstances.
Tip -- Finding your Season in Life
The first step in learning from something is to show up for class. When we are truants from our lives, we spend our days reacting without thinking, dealing with stuff without considering our situation. When a great opportunity arrives but we are in a winter moment, feeling down and powerless, we may simply ignore the opportunity. Likewise, when a great challenge arrives during a Summer when things are supposed to be relatively easy, resentment may lead us into anger and perhaps even despair. However, if we can “know the times and seasons” in our lives, we will be better equipped to respond to the opportunities and challenges they bring. In that spirit, I offer these signs of the seasons of life.
Spring – There is a general hopefulness about life and enough energy to act on that hope. We may feel great change in our lives but it has the feel of development rather than decay. We may tire easily but can generally find the endurance to press on because we know things will improve.
Summer – There is a general sense of satisfaction with our lives. Our lives are going as hoped except for the occasional storm that may set us back temporarily. We draw energy from the light that surrounds us and find it relatively easy to focus on the good in our lives.
Fall – In the Autumn we begin to reap the bounty of the life we have lived. We may feel that our lives have been productive and worthwhile. However, our joy is tinged with the knowledge that the reaping is only temporary. Once again, we feel great change taking place but it has begun to feel more like decay than development. Our hope may begin to dim as we look ahead into the growing darkness.
Winter – With the stillness of Winter comes a time to step back and reflect on all that has occurred. It is a time to live off the harvest of that which you have sown in life. It may be a time of deep satisfaction as well as deep regret. However, in the darkness of these winter reflections lay the seeds of a new Spring that will emerge when the time has come. A winter hope exists, a hope that offers a light of its own in the winter darkness.
Spring – There is a general hopefulness about life and enough energy to act on that hope. We may feel great change in our lives but it has the feel of development rather than decay. We may tire easily but can generally find the endurance to press on because we know things will improve.
Summer – There is a general sense of satisfaction with our lives. Our lives are going as hoped except for the occasional storm that may set us back temporarily. We draw energy from the light that surrounds us and find it relatively easy to focus on the good in our lives.
Fall – In the Autumn we begin to reap the bounty of the life we have lived. We may feel that our lives have been productive and worthwhile. However, our joy is tinged with the knowledge that the reaping is only temporary. Once again, we feel great change taking place but it has begun to feel more like decay than development. Our hope may begin to dim as we look ahead into the growing darkness.
Winter – With the stillness of Winter comes a time to step back and reflect on all that has occurred. It is a time to live off the harvest of that which you have sown in life. It may be a time of deep satisfaction as well as deep regret. However, in the darkness of these winter reflections lay the seeds of a new Spring that will emerge when the time has come. A winter hope exists, a hope that offers a light of its own in the winter darkness.
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