Seasons

The shadow caught my eye. It was just a small shadow gracefully drifting across the green of the grass. No specific rhyme or reason. I never broke stride as I continued my walk although my imagination blazed. A bird? Drift to left. Which birds were still around? Drift right. Maybe one of the hawks has spotted something I haven't seen? I laughed when the yellow-brown glider enter the top of my view. I watched as it settled to the ground. A flash of dull color in a sea of green. Just a leaf.

A maple leaf destined to drop from it's tree home as autumn swirled around. The tree was going to sleep to await warmer weather and to survive the next season's cold. Seasons. Times of newness and excitement. Times of warmth and growth. Times of harvest and preparation. Times of loneliness and waiting.

God knows when we are entering winter. His divine imagination programed even the trees to prepare in order to thrive again. Preparation isn't always easy. Things sometimes fall away. Things sometimes sleep. Things sometimes die.

That leaf drifted down to me. Earth's time of sleep is just beginning. My winter is finally starting to come to a close. I've waited long. I've battled the loneliness of the cold months. The snow is melting. The harsh winds have stopped their howling. The hope for green and color of spring is growing, warming.

I didn't feel well prepared for such a long season. There were so many times I just knew I would crumble beneath the snow and ice. But my roots are strong, growing in good soil. Even as I pulled into myself, the nutrients I drew in were rich and plentiful.

A branch far too long and large, pulling me over, my pride fell away. Anger dying, cracking and falling piece by piece. The hurt clinging to me as dead leaves unwilling to release finally pulled away in the warmer breezes. Love warming my core. Joy stretching it's way through my branches.

The world around me slows to winter. I race toward spring.