Ahhh the seasons – the cold ends, Spring bounces in and Summer hits us quick and hard.  Every season brings new sounds, new colors, and new winds blow in change, delight,  and challenge!  I love the seasons, but I hate the winds!  The winds of life have brought me through many seasons – times of new challenges, pain and death, opportunities to learn tolerance, accept loss, and experience growth. love and beauty – all I have to say is that when the winds of change come, it is hard – sometimes hell on earth!  But I found a secret.  Just keep yourself and your head, focus, and you will come out alright.  Sounds easy, huh?

After a terrible divorce years ago, I decided that I was NOT going to give up but instead was going to fight my way through the circumstances.  I wanted to die, I wanted to kill.  BUT… I didn’t!  I chose to forgive and stay steady, do the right thing and focus on what mattered.  To be present.  What mattered most was my children.  So, I focused on them.  I wasn’t going to let circumstances dictate how our lives were going to wind up!  I was going to bravely march forward with my own damn banner and establish my territory!

I think our “springs” (really any of the seasons we go through) are demanding that of us, that we forge our way to bring new life and new growth.  To focus on being there in the moment (an incredible act of love). It isn’t easy.  Most of our life depends on what we make up our mind to do.  We don’t have to “go along”.  And when I say “do the right thing”, I don’t mean follow the status quo – who says that is the right thing?  That is for YOU to decide for your life.

In the face of challenges or trouble, my grandmother would say “it won’t matter in a 100 years”.  I have used her words many times to help me decide if something was worth the fight.  And you know what I discovered?  What will always matter in 5, 10, 100 or a 1000 years is LOVE – how we give it and how we receive it – and RELATIONSHIP – how we embrace other human beings and the mark we leave on other’s hearts.  Love transcends everything, it is what produces the flower after a harsh winter.

Back in the day, in bitter battle, I chose love.  It kept me from dying.  In this season, let the new life you see popping up remind you of the opportunities you have to make beauty out of your circumstances – bravely march forward!

Love and Peace!
Sandy