To Everything There is a Season
For my 16th birthday, I received a card in the mail. It was from my grandma, who lived about forty-five minutes away from us. She was getting older and couldn't drive as far alone. On the card, she wrote, "I miss coming up for all the birthdays, but to everything there is a season." I love that card. My grandma was wonderful and I knew she loved me, but she wasn't particularly sentimental and mushy. Her brief birthday message spoke volumes.
I know the phrase is from the Bible and has inspired music, art, and probably literature, but to me, it's a message from my grandma. I think of it as personal advice. Life goes through stages. Whatever stage I am currently in won't last forever. It's important to love the stage I'm in and accept that I'm not in a different stage. There are so many things I would like to do that I can't do while my children are young. That's okay. To everything there is a season. I'll have time.
Grandma was a great example of this. I believe she learned to play the piano after she retired. When I knew her, she was an accomplished musician. I'm working on my mid-life philosophies, which means I have plenty of time to continue to learn and accomplish things. There is no need to feel stress, regret, envy, or disappointment that I can't do everything right now.
There are some things from the past that I enjoyed so much and miss, like teaching at the MTC and living close to my family. I choose not to wallow in despair because those parts of my life are gone. Instead, I cherish the memories and the relationships and lessons learned while I enjoy my present.
The fun part of this philosophy is that my life is constantly changing. What I didn't have time for a few years ago, I can do now. When the children were very young, I found it difficult to read for my own enjoyment. I have that time now and I enjoy it.
Life is constantly changing. There are many seasons of life and each season holds different opportunities.
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