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What you learn is that each decade brings a new set of challenges but also a new set of possibilities.

– Michelle Obama

full green trees

Living in a wooded area surrounded by farmland and bodies of water affords me the benefit of beautiful scenery year-round. But oh, how I cherish my green wall at the pinnacle of spring. After heavy rain, the foliage of the nourished trees merge to create a verdant border, like a protective shield that hugs the property, offering solitude and tranquility. Over the years, I’ve grown more fond of my privacy; more contemplative about the challenges and possibilities of the seasons…and of life.

My wall of green is on loan through the summer months while the flowers bloom.

sunflowers

Then the trees become bedecked with reds, oranges and yellows until the leaves fall away, breaching the wall and exposing the world behind it.

trees with foliage in bright colors

Several months later, the white of snow dominates the backdrop as well as the ground at center stage.

snow

The frigid winter can feel intolerable, but spring is resilient, always emerging with color and life.

Red and green trees

We often lament that people do not appreciate what they have until it’s gone. One advantage of living in a location with four seasons is appreciation for the allure of each season on its own merit. I think we should look at life the same way, revering each stage by judging it for what it is meant to be. Childhood should not be accelerated, youth is not meant to be lived as an aged person, middle age is wasted if preoccupied with mourning the loss of youth, and senescence done well is about circling back to family ties and friendships while doing what there was no time to do before.

The tagline of my blog is, “As the seasons change, so do I.” When I wrote that, I was thinking about how I continue to reinvent myself to overcome the challenges each season brings. Now it holds a different meaning; appreciating the possibilities.

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