Seasons of Change

Autumn leaves fall like rain outside my window. Fierce winds strip the trees of their Autumn splendor, carpeting the lawn in rich colors of the season.  The colorful canopies are stripped bare, leaving naked branches reaching to the sky. Why must the seasons pass so quickly?

The little boys who once played in the leaves are now young men finding their way in the world. Special family members who guided our lives for decades now whisper to us from Heaven.

All is as it should be, and yet, a lingering sadness can consume me if I allow it. But I know wishing for times gone by is a futile waste of my thoughts and energy. I cherish my memories, and treasure all the wonderful joys a lifetime brings.

It helps to keep myself in this moment, enjoying the dance of the leaves as they are freed from their summer perch. I will go out and crunch through the fallen piles of summer’s glory, now crisp and crackly and heaped ankle deep in the woods.

Every season has its beauty, and each moment of life is meant to be savored. If we are to live and love and grow as we amble along life’s path, we must pause to let the beauty of living soak deeply into our lives.

So rushed are we that we miss the artistry of the ever changing sky. Sunrises and sunsets mark only the length of days when we rush by them. 

But if we linger, and soak up the colors and the promise of a glorious sunrise; or pause to watch the sun slowly sink into a breath-taking sunset, our spirit is blessed.

Life is meant to be savored. Beauty, and love; friendship, and reaching out to those in need, these are the food for our soul. We must nurture who we are from the inside out. And this includes enriching our lives with these soul-satisfying moments. They are just as important as nourishing food is for energizing our physical bodies.

Energizing our spirit, knowing true peace, pausing to breathe and being thankful for the gifts of beauty, love, and life itself, brings our focus into the moment. The world around is ever-changing. What remains as our constant is our connection to self.

Mindfulness and living in the moment help us to slow the pace, just a little, allowing  time to savor the delicate beauty that is life. We must be purposeful in searching out those moments that rest our thoughts, and calm our spirit.

Perhaps by adapting our lifestyles to mindfulness, we can slow the pace just a little bit, and capture the beauty of the seasons of our lives before they too quickly pass by.

If we offer a thankful heart when beauty touches our lives, we can, for that moment, slow down the passage of time.

Savor the moment, and capture the feeling. The peace will stay with you long after the moment has passed. And nestled deep in your spirit, it will help to heal the rush of life passing by too quickly, like the dizzying swirl of falling leaves.