Seasonal Transitions

Greetings from Montana!

Wherever you are in the world, I hope this finds you well.

There is no doubt that spring is on its way. Even here in Montana with wintery weather still present, there are an abundance of signs announcing the impending arrival of spring. Just a couple of weeks ago on my daily walks, I began to notice birds that I hadn't seen before, singing the most delightful songs; beautiful, light, melodious songs that sounded like spring itself. And each day as the frozen pond slowly begins to melt, I've witnessed increasing sizes of flocks of geese coming to land, and when they do, it's quite a noisy celebration!

The weather here oscillates back and forth between snow and colder temps and then an almost complete melt of it with warmer temps and sunshine the following day. I've noticed how easy it is to rush towards the coming season during this time of transition. I've found myself a little torn with the in-between as I've been enjoying winter here, but I'm also eager to settle into spring.

On our first day when the snow had melted completely from our yard, I felt a little sad to see it go. Then when we had a day of warm sunshine, I enjoyed being barefoot in the grass with just a t-shirt on, only to feel a bit of annoyance having to put my snow boots back on the very next morning. In noticing my reactions, I realized that instead of wanting the weather to be one way or another, I could choose to fully embrace whatever the weather conditions were and actively enjoy it, as there is a time and season for everything.

The other thing I've noticed is that in the embracement of whatever the day brings, I can see the gracious ebb and flow in nature. I become aware of the beautiful and purposeful dance of the seasonal transition. It's a gradual unfolding, where spring steps forward, winter steps back, and vice versa, a gentle and fluid exchange between the two. It's a time when both seasons share the same space until one finally lets go and the other takes its place.

Much of our life transitions and growth is just the same. When we are in a season of change, it usually doesn't happen overnight, rather it's a gradual unfolding of what is next to come. It can be easy to become frustrated in the back-and-forth exchange, easy to feel like we may even be going backward. But in nature, nothing ever goes backward, the fluid exchange is what lays the preparation and foundation for what is coming next.

So, no matter what season of life you are in, remember that everything you are experiencing is preparing you for what is coming next. That alone is very worthy of a celebration.

May the arrival of spring bless you with lightness and ease.

With love and light,

Laura

xoxoxo