“Spring passes and one remembers one’s innocence.
Summer passes and one remembers one’s exuberance.
Autumn passes and one remembers one’s reverence.
Winter passes and one remembers one’s perseverance.”
― Yoko Ono
One of the few things I knew as I started designing my website is that I wanted pictures of nature and the four seasons to reflect my belief in the healing power of nature. The scenic beauty is what sold me on moving to West Michigan. Whenever I feel sad, lonely, depressed or disconnected from myself, I try to head for a hike or escape to the beach. I always feel better, more centered, and grateful for the many blessings in my life. If the birds and animals survive, so will I.
With that being said, this time of year always makes me antsy. It also makes my dog antsy. She woke me up last Thursday morning jumping on and off the bed and running between the bedroom and living room because she saw the sun and wanted to go out and bark at squirrels and birds. It seems the sun has an energizing effect on more than just people.
The sun did lift my spirit and put a smile on my face. It was nice to hear the birds chirping and see the ground, albeit brown and barren, when I opened the door to let out the dog. But it’s also been very deceiving – still cold when you step outside and a reminder that spring hasn’t arrived yet. That is why this in-between season makes me antsy. Agitated. Restless. Impatient.
I’m a quote person and some favorite ones do come from the Bible: “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1
It’s that time of year when we have persevered and survived the worst of winter and know better days are ahead. Yet the temperature and precipitation is in constant flux. The calendar may say Wednesday is the first day of spring, but Mother Earth can be fickle and fierce. Not to mention, the TV meteorologists keep forecasting cold, snow and wind. So we patiently wait – for the snow to go away for good, for warm air, for the trees to bud and flowers to bloom. We wait for that first glorious day we can roll down the car windows, walk the dog with no coat, and wear flip flops, skirts and shorts. That is when we remember Mother Earth also radiates love and life.
This photo, posted by a friend on Facebook, gave me a chuckle and drove this idea home: “Every flower must grow through dirt.” Isn’t that the truth! It reminds me of the flower bed of annuals I put in when I first moved to my current residence. For me, downsizing to a small house accompanied job loss because I knew I could not afford the nice downtown apartment I had rented since first moving to West Michigan. In many ways, I also looked forward to this change. Moving to a house finally meant a yard – even if I had to mow it! That first spring, I committed to planting a garden and putting in a flower bed of annuals.
Four years later, that flower bed is still there. It definitely needs some attention. The plants, currently covered with snow, look dead, but I know that with just the right conditions of water, sun and temperature those plants will bloom and flower once again.
I cannot help but view it as a metaphor for life, especially the state of my life at the moment. Sometimes we are simply covered in dirt and waiting to sprout. A space best described as in-between – scary, yet filled with possibility. We can be in-between jobs, homes, relationships, behaviors, feelings and goals. This state of being can spur all sorts of back-and-forth, push-pull dynamics and create a lot of internal conflict: Fear, anxiety, depression, second guessing and worry over what the future holds. But those are all self-defeating, time-wasting, energy-draining habits. Negative energy sabotages, destroys and empowers the problem, whereas positive energy heals, transforms and expands all that is good.
Just like winter is necessary to prepare the ground for a new planting season, being in-between is necessary to get from where we are to where we want to go. Sometimes, where we are is right where we need to be. We must trust we are making progress even if it may not seem like it, just as we look at the calendar and trust summer is in reach. We must trust people want to help and have our best interest at heart. We must trust there is a plan and a purpose.
The flowers will bloom again. So will you. So will I. If any of us need a reminder, the Universe provides plenty of resources to connect us to the rhythm and beauty of life: Water, a walk in the woods, a sunset, a pet to love, a hand to hold, a friend to confide in, and time to just sit and think in solitude.
We must remember there is reason for every season. We must embrace the fluidity of life, accept the uncertainty of today and find comfort in the rebirth that is coming.
