I’ve been thinking a about Seasons. Not the Spring and Summer kind, but the life kind. I first heard the concept from a talk by Jade Simmons two years ago. She explained that just like actual seasons, we go through Seasons in our lives characterized by different people, priorities and experiences. Then last week while sharing a struggle with my dad, he brought up the term again. And I had one of the biggest aha moments in a really long time.
As I prepare to start a new Season in my life (Juliana starting school and another big change I’ll share soon), I found myself struggling to let go of certain parts of the Season I’m leaving. I found myself looking back at the last five years, this Season in Charlotte, raising my sweet baby to preschooler. Sometimes when you’re starting a new Season, all you want to do is cling to the last one. It’s human nature. We find comfort in what we know even when we know we can’t go back.
My dad told me about the last time he went through a change of Seasons. In 2012 my little brother graduated and he and my mom became empty nesters. A few months later, my mom fell sick with an autoimmune disorder that took her hearing and mobility. My dad explained that he started a new and different Season in his life that year as an empty nester and caregiver, but made a conscious decision to fully embrace it rather than wishing things were how they used to be. He explained that fully embracing his new Season was how he’s sustained peace and happiness in an otherwise difficult time.
I realized when my dad told me his story in many ways I was still clinging to the Season I’m about to leave. As we gain more life experience, it’s easy to look back at past Seasons and miss them to a degree. It’s good to reflect, but my dad helped me realize that’s different from wishing we were there. Life is a journey and we have to keep moving forward and make the most of our present. That’s where happiness lies. You can’t be happy in the Season you are in now if you are caught up wishing for a past one.
I made a decision when I got off the phone with my dad. I decided to embrace the upcoming changes with faith over fear and live into my new life as each day comes. No regrets, no more wishing for anything back. It’s hard to describe the feeling of relief, peace and joy that washed over me after making that choice.
It doesn’t matter how old you are, each new Season is the beginning of something new and beautiful.
I wanted to write this because some of you have shared you are going through big life changes right now. It’s normal to be scared and uncomfortable and to want to go back to that person, place or thing that felt comforting and familiar. But once you finally let go, it will feel like a whole exciting world is opening up for you, just as it did for me.
Even if you aren’t in a transition ask yourself, ‘What am I doing to embrace and fully live into this current Season in my life?’
I’d love to hear.
And to my dad- thank you for being the best Daddy, role model and advisor I could ever have. It’s one Season of yours that’s evergreen.
Love always,
Terra
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