A Life of Seasons

Things happen every day that remind us that we all have things that we are good at, loved and thought of for. The things that make us unique individuals make us interesting friends and family members. As we go about our daily life we often demonstrate our uniqueness without even knowing that we are doing so.


Henry David Thoreau said:

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. "

Last night I spoke with a friend over the phone about similar schools of thought and this morning I found an e-mail in my inbox from another friend touching on the same ideas. It seems that when such themes are brought up from different angles yet simultaneously, I should take heed. Both encounters became significant reminders that for every season of our lives, be they a few days or a few years, there is a purpose. And during that season there is something we will bring to the table and there will be something that we take away. As these so called "seasons" come and go we will find that as a result of enduring them, good or bad, we will become richer individuals.

It is not always easy to look at life this way. Especially during those periods that are harder than others. During those phases it is important to listen to the music that Thoreau spoke of. Earnestly try to seek out it's beat and as we seek that internal cadence we should prepare to march to its rhythm like we never have before. Rising to every occasion with the confidence in our own persona, knowing that our purpose will guide us on into the next season.

As these words appear on this screen I can't help but think of so many people that I have known throughout my short life. People that I've loved throughout my life and people that I met along the way and grew to love. And as these faces pop into my mind - more than not - I am reminded of times when we had smiles on our faces and were in rooms filled with laughter. I am reminded of kindness and goodness that has been mine. I am reminded of seasons of my own life, now a part of my history that I made it through unharmed. All along the way I asked myself: What is my purpose? What am I hear for? And I didn't find the answer to those questions until the season of which I was a part of at the time was complete. Stepping out of one day into the next, singing to the tune that lingered in my mind at the time, I locked those doors and opened others. Only to find a completely new phase with a new, yet unknown purpose. And years from now when I look back over my life and the seasons within it, I may find that I didn't just have one purpose, but many. The collection of which will have been me.