| This picture was taken in our fire pit this spring. It intrigued me to see beauty rise up out of the ashes. One of the things I enjoy the most is reflecting on the season changes I get to witness from the deck while sitting in my favorite chair. Sometimes the air feels hot and humid in the active days of summer right before the rain. There is also the beauty of the leaves as they change colors as fall makes it entrance. My plants tell me after the first cold snap that its time to move inside and watch through the window as the winter season unfolds. Spring always brings the anticipation of sitting in the morning air once more and watching the wildlife wake up from the winter months. The seasons of our lives are simultaneously changing with the seasons of the earth. It has been both a joy and a challenge for me to acknowledge that simple epiphany. To understand it is to know that whatever season one is currently experiencing will soon change. It’s important to know when to embrace a lovely summer or when to batten down the hatch and wait for a fall storm to blow over. It’s equally important to know the time to rest and watch a winter season from the safety and warmth of the inside or when to fling the windows open and shake the dust from the curtains to allow spring to help you do something different and exciting. Most of us are wired for routine and find security in thinking we know what the next day is going to bring. It took a near death experience from an unexpected motorcycle accident to shake me out of that mentality. The truth is we do not know what the next day holds. Our season may change with the blink of an eye. I was suddenly thrust into a winter season of physical recovery. while we were riding the hills of the Ozarks in Arkansas on a beautiful fall day. My total focus changed to learning to sit still while my body healed the broken bones. I had a lot of time to watch the world around me from the recliner in our living room. Let’s just say I learned a lot. While I became one with the furniture, everyone else in the house went about their daily lives. It disturbed me to see the fast pace that had become our way of life. Living to work and working to live. While working is certainly a priority – so is stopping to smell the roses. Even the season in the chair soon changed to long hours of physical therapy, going back to work myself, and moving through the huge array of orthopedic devices that offered assistance until I could stand on my own two feet again. Now I am left with only the reflection of that particular season. In a nutshell, I encourage you to first recognize your current season and simply adjust accordingly because it will soon change. Anticipate the change and prepare to move through it fully awake. Stop and smell the roses along the way because flowers can bloom anywhere. You may be surprised how perfect moments can be captured when they are least expected. Every season has bright spots of growth and joy. Remember it is Your Season! Make it golden! Enjoy the Journey – VB |