Monday, March 22, 2010
9:22 PM | 
Posted by
Amethist Flame
It seems this past year, I have been looking at the natural world around me through new eyes. A couple of months ago, I was walking through the forest with my husband and as far as I could see, there was evidence of the death and decay that seems to surround us in the winter and fall. I looked around me and felt some sadness at the loss of these once magnificent trees that lay decaying at my feet. But I looked closer and saw, in the clearing where the trees had once stood, a group of saplings that had already sprung up to take their place there in the sun. The fallen trees began to decay, yet they still had a purpose to serve. They are the shelter for so many living things. Small lizards and snakes take shelter beneath them and more bugs than I could count live within. As these trees continue to decay, they break down to become part of the soil that the new trees grow in, the very foundation of their roots and the nutrients that feed them.
As spring arrives now, I see so much renewal. The sun shines, the birds sing and most everything is blossoming and growing. It's so much easier now to feel hopeful, but even in winter and fall there is hope. Each season is in some way important. In fall we harvest the bounty that has grown from spring and summer, then we make preparations for the winter. Winter is a time of rest. The earth rests and so do we all, saving our energies for the vigor of spring. Spring and summer, we see most clearly the vitality of the earth, which would not be possible without the dormancy of winter. And WE would not be able to survive winter without the harvest and preparations of fall.
I see these same cycles on a larger scale in the seasons of our lives. As children and young adults, we are vigorous and vital. We learn and grow and become what we are meant to become. As we age, we move through the seasons gradually. Often not noticing the exact moments of the transitions, but we realize them long after we have moved through the different phases. As adults, we raise our families and save what we can in preparation for the "winter" of our own lives. In our elder years, we spend a lot of time remembering, and also grooming the next generation to lead. When our loved ones pass from this life, our memories of them strengthen us and help us to continue to grow. They become our foundations and give us what we need to become the new leaders, and take OUR place in the sun.
We move through these seasons year after year, lifetime after lifetime, and generation after generation. Each one building upon the foundation of the ones that came before.
Seeing these cycles anew, after losing my own father over a year ago, brings me renewed hope and helps me appreciate more, the foundations on which I build my own life and the importance of the cycles and seasons of life in all that I see.
As spring arrives now, I see so much renewal. The sun shines, the birds sing and most everything is blossoming and growing. It's so much easier now to feel hopeful, but even in winter and fall there is hope. Each season is in some way important. In fall we harvest the bounty that has grown from spring and summer, then we make preparations for the winter. Winter is a time of rest. The earth rests and so do we all, saving our energies for the vigor of spring. Spring and summer, we see most clearly the vitality of the earth, which would not be possible without the dormancy of winter. And WE would not be able to survive winter without the harvest and preparations of fall.
I see these same cycles on a larger scale in the seasons of our lives. As children and young adults, we are vigorous and vital. We learn and grow and become what we are meant to become. As we age, we move through the seasons gradually. Often not noticing the exact moments of the transitions, but we realize them long after we have moved through the different phases. As adults, we raise our families and save what we can in preparation for the "winter" of our own lives. In our elder years, we spend a lot of time remembering, and also grooming the next generation to lead. When our loved ones pass from this life, our memories of them strengthen us and help us to continue to grow. They become our foundations and give us what we need to become the new leaders, and take OUR place in the sun.
We move through these seasons year after year, lifetime after lifetime, and generation after generation. Each one building upon the foundation of the ones that came before.
Seeing these cycles anew, after losing my own father over a year ago, brings me renewed hope and helps me appreciate more, the foundations on which I build my own life and the importance of the cycles and seasons of life in all that I see.
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4 comments:
Of course, it has taken me long time to figure out how to post comments - but I think I did it - yah! Not so fast, we'll see. Anyway, keep your curiosity and writings, amethist, and in the end kindness is all that matters; cycles & seasons, many I have seen, and that inner spirit stays fresh oft times. Saphfire whispers.
That was very well written. It was enspiring.
thank you both for your comments.
A long time ago, my mom told me that I would cry if a butterfly hit the car...
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