Life seems to happen in different colors, shapes, temperatures, textures, and other musical notes also. Looking through my window, I see the trees that have lost their leaves. A few weeks ago, I couldn’t see the creek behind the trees, and I enjoyed contemplating the green, yellow, and reddish of the leaves dancing to the wind. There was so much life there. I also enjoyed the variety of birds jumping from one birdfeeder to another, sometimes taking turns to eat. They are skittish, so they fly away at the sight or noise of leaves or squirrels, waiting for their turn to return to the feeder. Safflower seeds seem to be the favorite for cardinals, bluejays, and finches. I love them all. Of course, the woodpecker, chirping and knocking and drilling into a tree. As soon as my dog barked, I could see and hear the movement of life differently, as if a painter’s brush was moving from left to right, from right to left, erasing for a moment the previous scene. That is what I saw a few weeks ago.
Today, I observe calmness as I look through my window. It is beautiful now that the leaves have fallen; I can see the creek with its steady water running. It is a new season, and Winter is announcing itself. One must be prepared to accept the change in temperature and the different ways of doing things. Less sunlight and more shadows force one to change habits, at least for the Winter months. Contemplation.
I welcome Winter. I understand that life is a constant, permanent change, and I have only one option: accept it. I avoid longing for Spring to come sooner. I stay present and live what life brings to me at this moment. There is no other way; learning happens as one goes through those moments that might not be what one was expecting, sometimes difficult or not. Life is a teacher in all aspects, and only I can give myself a grade at the very end when graduation comes up. Then, I will know how I did with the ups and downs in life.
