It was a lovely season of warmth, a period where the outdoors invited us to come out and partake of its vibrant colors, soothing breezes, and embracing sunshine. We too extended an invitation to the outdoors to come inside with us through open windows and drawn back curtains. However, there inevitably comes a time when we must realize that it is over, where we must go our separate ways. Try as we might to force it to linger and hold on just a bit longer, it is clearly not under our control. The days get shorter and those warm winds quietly are replaced by a gentle nip at our necks. Summer is over. We have no choice but to acknowledge the truth and make our preparations for the oncoming autumn and winter. Deck chairs are put into storage, the pool is covered, and our jackets are pulled out from the back of the closet.
This change does not really signal the end you know. It's just a temporary good-bye. It will all be back next year for us to enjoy again. In the mean time we should continue to seek out and embrace life. While bears and other critters purposefully go off into hibernation, shutting down and letting the cold season pass them by, we must not allow this to be our mindset. I know that I have a tendency to just try to endure the winter, to mark time and just get through. My own personal form of hibernation. However, if this is our mindset, we simply miss out on too much living. If we shutdown until the flowers and birds return, we are effectively cutting short our own lives. So this year, I plan to purposefully seek ways to enjoy the season ahead, to look out and look up, instead of just looking in and down.
