Timely Transitions
“To everything ~ turn, turn, turn ~ there is a season, ~ turn, turn, turn ~ and a time for every purpose under heaven.”
This song came to me as I thought about the transitions of this time of year and what they mean to most of us; how the turning of the seasons and the marking of time shapes our lives.
The words from Ecclesiastes were adapted by songwriter Pete Seeger in the song Turn! Turn! Turn!, and I find his melody as timeless as the words. The Byrds recording is the one I remember most – https://youtu.be/pKP4cfU28vM
Late August and early September mean back to school and changing routines for most families. Some welcome the return of structured days and some mourn the loss of summer freedom. I remember having both feelings when my kids returned to school. And there is a major adjustment for those families launching young adults into college or independent life.
From one school year to the next, the world turns, turns, turns…
Where I live in Central Texas, the land has transitioned from drought to some flooding in just the last week. Central Texas vacillates from extended periods of dry weather to sometimes torrential rains brought by waves of Gulf moisture or hurricanes. Moderation is not the order of the day here.
While the dry summer heat felt interminable at times this year, the one thing I could be sure of is that the rain would come – eventually. And no matter how long and cold the Minnesota winters felt in the years I lived there, the one thing I could be sure of is that Spring would come – eventually.
From one season to the next, the world turns, turns, turns…
In my own life I can see the same principle unfold. Whether I’m having a marvelous experience or a painful one, the one thing I can be sure of is that it won’t last forever. It may feel as if it will, but it won’t. At some point in time this chapter will give way to the next, and something else will take its place. This is the way of the world.
From one chapter to the next, the world turns, turns, turns….
Knowing this motivates me to take in as much of the present as I can before it moves on and become the past; even when it’s uncomfortable. Maybe especially when its uncomfortable. I am aware that the opportunity to learn what the present offers will pass with the experience, so it is a time-limited offering. At least this time around.
The universe is very forgiving, so not to worry if you miss it. The uncomfortable opportunity to learn what you need to grow will show up again; and again and again if needed. But the thing is, who wants to do those kind of lessons over and over? Not me; and I’m guessing not you either!
So whether you find yourself in a treasured season or a difficult one, be open to what it holds for you; what it has to teach you; how you can grow from it. When you squeeze everything out of the chapter you’re in, it’s much easier to turn the page to the next when the time comes.
Wishing you smooth and timely transitions.