“You’re life doesn’t get better by chance, it gets better by change”. –Unknown
I feel the change of the season as I stepped out to walk my Shih Tzu, Sommer. Walking is a time I reflect, clear my mind, and just to be; it’s like a moving meditation for me. I notice leaves on some trees already turning their true colors, and letting go of some. Autumn in September and October is my favourite time of the season. I go crazy with my camera taking pictures of the breath-taking trees with their vibrant colours. The Fall season reminds me that change is inevitable in nature, in life. We are young, and then we grow old. Like plants, we were fertilized seeds, we grow, and return to the ground. At their most beautiful appearance, trees let go of what made them beautiful, and so we must too as we grow older and wiser. After these life-giving trees let go of their leaves, they rest for the winter. We also have our fleeting time here before we rest.
Change is the only constant in life. Its impermanence allows us to realize how significant and sacred each moment is. On social media, I learn about friends losing loved ones, or friends fighting very serious illnesses. My heart goes out to them, and I am reminded once again that there will be many more times that we must experience the “letting go” part of life. I could understand how some could choose to not to get too close or attached to people in their lives because the hardest part of love is letting go. How many song lyrics have said these exact words? Many parents of friends my age are in their 70s and 80s. I am very blessed that both my parents are healthy and strong at their age. However, I am fully aware that one day, that season will come when they too must return “Home”. This awareness is my blessing. This blessing allows me to choose to spend quality time with my parents; to let them know they are loved dearly. I extend this blessing to everyone in my family, my circle of friends and readers. Next time you step outside for a nature walk, be present. Everything looks brighter and more vibrant. It’s like focusing your camera when the picture looks blurry; suddenly the picture looks sharper and crisp. Notice the leaves and the patterns as you look up the tree, and you see the patches of sky through the beautiful colourful leaves. Van Gogh, Monet’s brush strokes are nothing compared our to Creator’s creations! We can learn a lot from just being in nature. Nature wastes nothing, and nature just IS. We are that we are in the present only. This present moves just like the river. You can stand still in the river, and yet the water still constantly changes. New water consistently moves through you. Be present; it’s where whomever you call God lives. He lives nowhere else but here and now. Be still. When I am still, I can feel the changes, and I begin to understand why things are happening in my life. At times transitions, changes, shifts can be painful, but awareness of why these changes are happening now allow for wisdom and grace to take place.
