Honoring the Seasons

As I walked home from the bus stop the other day, I stopped to notice a beautiful sunset and as I watched the last of the orange- purple colors fade into the night sky, I realized the days were getting longer and that winter had passed by more quickly than I realized

When my kids left home to go to school two years ago, I made myself "busy" all the time. I wasn't ready to be an "empty nester" and I think I was afraid of what I might find if I stopped long enough to catch my breath. What I found is that I was often exhausted and that fatigue often left me on an emotional roller coaster.

This past winter I decided to honor the winter season. I greeted the solstice with an acceptance that nature is much  wiser than me. Oh yes, we have managed to find ways to keep our lights going 24/7 and have created enough distraction through radio, TV  and computers that we can ignore this time of solitude and reflection if we so chose.

But this year, I attempted to find more balance. I stayed in more often and spent time reading by the fireplace. I meditated more and went to bed earlier. Many animals go into a more dormant stage in winter, however our modern society is not in tune with nature. So it was a bit like going against the grain- something I tend to do a lot.

But as I watched as the days grew shorter and shorter, I felt I went inside myself a bit more. I was able to come to terms with some things I had been wrestling with in my mind. I allowed myself time to grieve the loss of a potential relationship and let myself feel the sadness that I would have otherwise swept aside I was went through my busy schedule. The ability to move through my feelings left me with more energy and cleared the way for something else to come forth in its place.

So as the days get longer and I sense the coming of a new season with its call to enjoy the outdoors more, I know that even as much as November, with it's gray skies and promise of the shortest day still to come, is still not my favorite part of the year, it is one for which I have come to feel a sense of fondness. For the cozy nights watching the snow fall outside while I remained warm and safe inside, the  time to rest and rejunevate from a busy summer and for the knowledge of what the changing seasons of nature can bring to my world- if I accept its wisdom.