Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back everything is different … – C.S. Lewis
The Christmas buffet was dripping with watermelon, cherries, and fluffy pavlova with blushed raspberry sauce. The big holiday items promoted were along the lines of outdoor furniture and barbecues. The kids waiting in line to see Santa Claus at the mall were wearing floral, breezy sundresses and plaid shorts. Everyone headed out of town after the New Year for their summer holiday. This week, all of the flyers in the mail advertised back to school sales, college dormitory sized appliances and duvet sets. The first week of February marks the start of the school year. The sunset after 9 PM on New Year’s Eve!
I never would have known, in my life before this journey, how much the seasons orchestrated my year. That first crisp morning in August that hints at the coming fall, or the way spring bursts forth with vibrant unpredictability in March, was all I knew. I realize now, after celebrating Halloween in the tropics, Thanksgiving in the Spring, and the height of summer in January, even the seasons are no longer absolutes in my experience. It struck me today, as nectarines and fresh peas overflowed in my grocery basket, autumn is imminent.
Everything I once knew about the order of my year, has been turned on its head, which didn’t seem like a big deal until it happened. It is disorienting in the best way. Because of it, I feel more at ease with transitions, anticipation, and change, that I once attributed to the coming season, and I now know it is possible from anywhere. A change in climate requires a shift in thinking, a change in seasons requires a shift in being.
Today’s Tweetable: How much do the seasons orchestrate your year?
