Cycles
of Change
“Moments
like this inevitably arise in the course of our life. People or
things we love change in ways we do not want or expect. Things we
plant do not remain seedlings forever; they grow and change. In fear
of losing them, we try to hold on, to keep things as they were. As
our loved ones evolve and grow, we hold on more desperately to how
they used to be, until we strangle both them and ourselves.” Wayne
Muller (How Then Shall We Live)
One
sure sign of life is change. Isn't that what we learned in general
science class in the eighth grade? Every living thing is subject to
cycles of change. Sitting here on my late summer porch, I see green
leaves paling into yellow, a few already on the ground. Fall is
coming. The mocking birds are quiet, no longer needing to chortle
from daybreak into the night to find and keep a mate. That season has
past.
Change
is always happening in a slow methodical way. So slowly, in fact,
that we don't notice for a long time—and then we do. And it seems
sudden and alien. We wonder, “When did that happen?” Our parents
age, our children grow up. Our lives change from the hectic days of
carpools and soccer games to packing the bags for college. And then
the house is suddenly empty and oh, so quiet. We notice our mate for
the first time in years, changed, older, not the passionate young
firebrand we married, but middle aged, different.
Change
is inevitable and the more we resist it, the more harsh it seems.
Instead of thinking of change as a sign of life, we cast it in a
disparaging light called “old,” as though old is a bad thing.
What if we were to embrace the changes we see, love them as evidence
of vitality, of growth and vigor. What if we were to enjoy mellowing,
ripening and thriving as we go from one stage to the next. Life
follows a natural cycle just like the seasons. We can no more hang on
to one stage of life than we can hang onto summer. But we can squeeze
out all the juice and suck the marrow from its bones and enjoy every
every single minute of it. And then look with excited anticipation
for the next round in this good circle of life.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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