The Seasons of Life
I’ve always identified with the seasons, calling myself a seasonal person. I love summer only because it soon turns to fall, and I enjoy the depths of winter, knowing that spring is just around the corner.
With every turn of the seasonal cycle, I feel ready because I adore change. I thrive in the feeling of being centered, grounded, even as everything around me shifts. Each season brings an opportunity to rediscover myself: pulling out my favorite sweater in the fall or slipping on beach-goer sandals in the summer.
The cycles of the seasons offer a chance for personal reinvention, where different versions of myself take the spotlight, while others rest and rejuvenate. My spring and summer selves indulge in the warmth of my inner sunshine, while my winter self delights in cozy nights, warm soup, and snowy adventures. It’s a rhythm of balance, where the vibrant, social summer version of me gets her much needed rest when winter rolls in.
My relationships seems to change with the changing seasons as well. I get more snuggly with my partner as the winter gusts in, and I am more social with friends in the summer. Yet, even our relationships pass through their own cycles, bringing both stability and change, just as the seasons do. Through summer rainstorms, winter sunshine, falling leaves, and blooming flowers, they’re always there, ready and steady. A fight with a loved one might feel like the cold of winter. A heart-opening conversation with a coach could feel like the arrival of summer. A disagreement with a partner might hold the crispness of fall. A hug from a best friend, like the first day of spring.
So, what is the one thing that remains constant through all the seasons? No matter the season, at the center of it all, we can always find the true self. The observer. The constant. The one who listens.
Since, the only true constant is our center, once we find that, we realize that we create the seasons of our lives. We are the sun that warms the summer, the storms that bring winter’s chill. In the mirror of our center, we come to understand that the best way to navigate life’s seasons is to embrace change—and to dance with it.
We must love the seasons and the people in front of us while we have them. Yes, we can have our favorites, but the real beauty lies in our ability to adapt, to find joy in each moment, and to hold onto our center no matter what. Perhaps that’s what I love most about the seasons: they are graceful metaphors for life, teaching us how to move with change.
How are you flowing through the seasons of your life? How are you protecting your center? Can you find wonder in each moment, no matter the season? What’s your least favorite season trying to show you? And, more importantly, what season of your life are you in right now?
