Seasons

   Good Morning, Friends!  I overheard someone this week say it's amazing how beautiful fall is because the colors in the trees are actually produced by the leaves dying.  What a strange paradox.  We often think of beauty as growth, renewal, springtime, and newness, but arguably, one of the most beautiful times of year is actually a dying and letting go process for the trees.  

    I think our lives are a lot like this also.  We go through seasons.  Sometimes we are in the easy, lazy summer-like days, where we don't have a care in the world.  Sometimes, we are in the throws of something new, and we feel the life and energy of spring coursing through us.  There are times when we are in the barren, difficult, cold season of winter and struggle.  And then there are the times when we must let go, move on, and choose to get rid of things.  These can be difficult times, but they can also be beautiful if we let them.  

    I've heard it said somewhere that "the enemy of great is good."  How true this is in our lives.  When we are in winter, we can't wait to get over the struggle and get back to spring and growth, but when we are in summer, enjoying a good time, it can be so hard to realize it's time to start letting go and moving towards something else.  

    There is a children's story called "little tree" by Loren Long.  In this story, little tree decides it is better to hold on to the leaves it has, rather than to let them go.  Have you been there?  Perhaps you knew you needed to move forward, but the thought of surrendering what you currently had just seemed too painful, so you kept desperately clinging to the old dead leaves in your life.  

    Sadly, little tree discovers, that by holding on to the leaves it had, it misses the opportunity to grow new leaves in the spring time.  Are there opportunities you are missing because you won't let go of the once green leaves which now are hanging dead and preventing you from moving on?  If we want to be truly fruitful and productive and live our best lives, we must learn to embrace the seasons.  We must be willing to let go sometimes, knowing that in the letting go, we may have to move through a hard winter season, but the beauty of new growth awaits us on the other side.  

    Don't let the beauty of the season you are in pass you by while trying to hold on to the season you were in before.  Be willing to let things end.  The beauty of fall and even winter is the promise of spring and summer ahead.  No matter which season you find yourself in, choose to enjoy it, and realize that all seasons do pass.  We are not meant to stay stagnant.  Keep moving, and find the colors in every season.  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.L.W.