Life's Seasons

When we hear the word, "seasons" of course we associate this with the four season we experience every year. Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter; they make the rounds every 365 days. Even in each season sometimes we refer; "late Winter", "early Spring" to each of the four various climate changes with time. A season is a "climate" change, we have an equinox date to begin or finish a season. The Earth's axis is slightly tilted in relation to its orbit around the Sun. This is why we have seasons. Since the year has 12 months, each season lasts about three months. However, the dates when the seasons begin and end vary depending on whom you ask. Two methods are most commonly used to define the dates of the seasons: the astronomical definition and the meteorological definition.

With the changing seasons comes new beginnings.

Each of us can associate better with sometimes one season over another, a favorite time of year to each of us personally. Spring always brightens my soul, the awakening of Winter's "death" with new life emerging. Around the world, a season can vary from one area to another. Obviously closer to the equator makes a difference in the temperature one will experience. While it is a certain season one side of the world may be Winter, it can be Summer on the other side of the hemisphere.

Think of the word "season" deeper, our life span has its seasons. "Can I sail through the changing ocean tides? Can I handle the seasons of my life?" Stevie Nicks wrote a song about the seasons of our life. Similar like season and days, there are no two moments perfectly the same, we have "seasonal life". Sure the seasons of our lives last longer than the seasons in a year, but all things come to an end. I know we won’t be in the summer of our lives forever, and that certainly helps me to get through the hard days and to practice gratitude instead of wishing my life away. “Appreciate where you are in your journey, even if it’s not where you want to be. Every season serves a purpose.”- unknown

Spring is new life, the early days of our life. Spring is all about birth, growth and preparation. For our gardens it means sowing seeds and nurturing seedlings that will grow into big, healthy, nourishing plants as the year progresses and the seasons change. For humans (and other animals too) it means being born, learning to walk and talk and do many of the things that will serve us later on in life.

The spring of our life is all about learning and growing and becoming.

Summer we associate with endless energy and longer days of light to make us shine and accomplish much in the lighter hours. Summer, possibly our time of growing, college, career, family, buying a home, exploring, learning new skills and fun adventures. Likewise is the summer of our lives. This is the time in life when we are busy establishing ourselves.

Rolling into Fall, our energy slows down, scurry around to accomplish much before we retire ( like the squirrel gathering and preparing for Winter dark days)The seasonal fall brings with it a feeling of gratitude and abundance as we give thanks for Earth’s bounty and enjoy the fruits of our summer’s labor. Sure, there is still work to be done harvesting and processing and preserving and preparing for winter. But the work of fall is the work of finishing projects, and comes with the satisfaction of checking things off our to-do list once and for all.

Because when we reach Winter, we still have things to care for with family, our homes and prepare for quieter days, sleep more, less energy. At this point, the most important work still to be done is on ourselves. It’s the time when we reflect not just on the year gone by, but on our entire life. Do we have regrets? Are there amends to be made? Did we live a life true to ourselves and our beliefs? How can we grow most meaningfully in our remaining days? What would we do differently if we were promised one more spin around the sun? What lessons and legacies do we want to pass onto the next generation before our time is up? The final end of life......end of Winter.

Each Season of life has its own

"Nature gives to every time and season unique beauty; from morning to night, as from the cradle to the grave, it’s just a succession of changes so soft and comfortable that we hardly notice the progress." — Charles Dickens