We know that the weather this summer has been somewhat unpredictable across Canada, but here in Victoria, we have had a glorious season. Now, with a slight chill in the air, summer is gone and autumn has arrived.
I love summer and I particularly loved this one. I engaged in a lot of outdoor activities, including running through nature trails, visiting the beach at sunrise, spending pool time with family and friends or just “hanging out” with the kids on the trampoline, gazing up at the stars.
Now, I lament the end of summer. After all, fall generally means less outdoors and less sunshine. The days slowly get darker and shorter. For my kids, vacation time is over and they have nine months of school to endure.
Sometimes it can be a bit of a letdown when things change. All you can think about is how good you had it and how much fun you used to have. You look at the times you’re in now and they just aren’t the same. It can make you sad.
Yes, that’s one way you could look at it. Or, you could look forward to everything that a new season has to offer. Autumn brings with it woollen scarves, crisp breezes, warm fuzzy jackets, apple cider and the start of football season. Autumn may not be summer, but it’s beautiful in its own way.
Just as the seasons in nature change, the seasons of life change as well. Change makes you flexible. Being stubborn and resistant to new things will make a normally stressful situation even more so, whereas change helps you to be fluid and go with the flow. Believe it or not, change even makes you smarter: if things never changed, you would never learn anything new. Every time you learn a new skill – even if it’s just how to adapt – you are much smarter than you were yesterday.
This year I’ve certainly had my plate full of changes and, with the upcoming season, there are even more to come. The passing of my Mom this summer brought the responsibility of being the executor of her estate and with that finding deeper patience and understanding how to make all three siblings feel like they are being looked after.
Then there is Allison, my editor-in-chief, who is having a baby this month. With that change comes the opportunity to work with two wonderful new people, Deborah Rogers and Kelsey Boorman, who will be replacing Allison during her maternity leave.
Oh yes: then there is the 10-week fitness challenge I just embarked on with local trainer Karen McCoy.
Finally, even though life is extremely busy with all these changes and taking care of my two children, I recently adopted two kitten brothers: Oreo and Smudge. Thanks to Sue Wilson at Sidney’s Animals For Life Society.
Change comes in many packages, and reminds us that anything is possible. Looking back, I realize that all the good things in my life are the results of changes that occurred in the past. I hope you can find a way to embrace the beauty of the new season. Know that nothing stays the same forever, and that’s actually a good thing!
“If you do not create change, change will create you.”
