With the passage of time comes change. Seasons are one way that we mark this change, realizing that things come and go in cycles and rhythms that work beyond our control. In any season, and in our lives, there are good times and not-so-good times; there are seasons that we love and some that we cannot wait to end. Sometimes seasons come to an end before we want them to…leaving us wishing that they would last throughout our entire lives. But, this cannot be because time continues to pass, things continue to change and we would become obsolete if we didn’t continue along the journey. Seasons renew us.

I have found that as life flows on and there is less of it ahead than behind, seasons can sometimes be wearying. But, they also become more precious, and more rich…perhaps because there are fewer of them left to experience. But, I believe that it is because I have come to know them more intimately- their nuances, loveliness, individuality and restlessness. There have been times when a particular hour of day during a particular season strikes a chord so deep within me that I have to stop whatever I am doing and yield to its overwhelming presence. As though standing on a great pinnacle, all distractions fallen away, the very essence of the season engulfs me. The soothing air, the way the sunlight falls across the landscape, how the wind moves…right then, that moment within that season becomes, paradoxically, timeless. But, it soon passes; seasons are transitory artists that quickly set up their displays, then almost as quickly carry them away so the next can have its time.

Our lives have seasons too, defined not by calendars, but by the meaning of those who are a part of us today, and by those who used to be. As with calendar seasons, life seasons can be wearying or they can be precious, lovely and restless. There are times when those I love the most are close and a sense of timelessness overcomes me; I feel that they will always be a part of me. Other times, when I am alone with my thoughts, memories of a lost season return. Those time-worn fragments of joy and longing engulf me in a wash of emotions; all my distractions fall away and I momentarily pause in its sense of timelessness. Past seasons have this unique way of returning to bless us with warmth and sunshine. Through them, loved ones who are no longer a part of our lives return for a few short seconds, reminding us that they will always be there.

Seasons, whether summer or winter or those inside of us, may be tender or sublime. But, they lead us through the uncountable days and bring us flowers, sunsets, profoundly brilliant stars and new loves. The gifts that the seasons give remain even after the season itself is gone. They are there,  returning in our memories, to reassure us that these gifts will always be with us.