A TIME FOR EACH SEASON

There is a time for every season and for every season there is a time. Spring ushers hope into the world – prying life from the icy fingers of winter. Summer is a time to bask in the warmth and to grow – to reach deeply into the ground so we might be able to find nourishment in the soil as we gain strength to weather the coming times. Fall is a time of respite – of preparing for the long cold season ahead as we remember the pace left behind. Winter shrouds us under a cold, dark blanket – curtailing our growth as we seek shelter from the storms.

Harry Chapin sang a tale of life being a circle. He noted that the sun seems to chase the moon from the sky during the daytime while, at night, the sun and moon reverse their roles. We experience new beginnings each day as we chase the circle of life – with false starts and dead ends being either bumps in our road or a terrible end to our progress. We can celebrate the opportunities that lie ahead of us or we can suffer the pain that comes from holding on too tightly to what has gone. We can stand tall against the storms of life or we can hide in the shelter of another’s shadow as we seek to avoid the turmoil. Life is truly a circular reality – one in which all things are possible for they have all been seen and done. It is a reality where nothing is impossible for we will inevitably move.

Embrace opportunity this summer. Reach towards the heavens as you plant your feet firmly on the ground. Do not be deterred by temporary inconvenience nor derailed by unexpected concerns. Every day that we live and breathe is truly a uniquely circular opportunity – the chance to move forward towards new opportunity as we move from the limitations of our present reality. Take the time to prepare for a long winter of reflection after passing through the autumn of rest – knowing that time and space will return you to a season of renewal.

In Michigan – perhaps as in no other place – we can experience all the seasons at one time. Embrace the opportunity to be unique and different as you pass through your seasons for while you may experience other summers – just as you do multiple falls and winters – once passed, you will never experience another exactly like this again.