LIVE THE LIFE YOU LOVE

I am a warm weather gal. Growing up in the snow belt off of Lake Erie near Buffalo, NY was not easy.

Winters in Columbia are milder. This one seemed extra chilly. When it gets cold my first reaction is to book a trip to Belize. I love summer and the Caribbean gives me that feeling.

This year was different. Instead of running off to an island to escape I did something different.

I relaxed. Sat back. Took naps. Kept the fireplace stoked and allowed my life to slow down. On days we had frost, I tried not to cringe.

I’ve lived a service-oriented life. I raised three boys. Ran a church nursery. Advocated for parenting teenagers, abused women and neglected children. Counseled mentally ill and addicted people. Somehow I managed to get through nutrition school and yoga classes.

Sitting in front of the fire I realized I was tired. What I did in the first phase of my life was now complete. The reason I kept running off to places that had warm weather was because summer meant rest and relaxation to me.

Sitting still will help you do this too. Winter is a season of stillness.

As I continued to relax and breathe deeply in front of the fire I asked myself “What can nature teach me?”

1. Nothing is rushed.

We can’t force plants

to grow or days to pass faster. Waiting is a part of life. Nothing grows all at once. Patience is a virtue. Time is a tool once we know how to use it.

2. Seasons change. This is common sense. It’s not easy to see the change in our own lives as we go from one season to the next. Allowing the fire to nurture and warm me helped me see my life was in the midst of a shift. My three sons did not seem to need me as much. I left my job back in Buffalo. My aging parents were sick. Many things were happening all at once. Taking time during the winter to contemplate and slow down was exactly what I needed.

3. Each of us is unique. Your experiences are unlike mine. Too much of the time we live life comparing ourselves to others’. This can create unnecessary pain. I have friends whose children are grown but are still dependent upon them. I have an older brother who has a twelve-year-old! I know women who are going to college in their 50’s! They are each in a different season of life. I’m not sure they know it, but they are. When we slow down and get in sync with the seasons around us, we can figure out easily the season of life we are going through individually. This will help us grow naturally into the person we are meant to be.