The Seasons Of Life

A few moments ago I came to an intriguing realization. Life, or at least my life, operates in patterns and always has. I find this extremely interesting and even amazing as I’m not often found to be a very superstitious person, nor very accepting of those things which cannot be explained. I have always believed everything that occurs is a coincidence as opposed to anything else, such as a “sign” or part of a “divine plan.” I never thought luck had anything to do with anything, and am beginning to believe I was a bit simpleminded to make such an assumption.

Thinking back to all of my past experiences I see a clear pattern, and oddly enough that pattern is synchronized with the seasons. As the seasons change, so does my life. It’s always a sudden transition, no more gradual than the change in the season itself. Furthermore, the change seems to always coincide with the spirit of the season and has done so for as long as I can remember. I’ll give you the basic idea as to how that is for me:

THE FALL SEASON-
As the leaves begin to turn colors and descend to the ground in a dramatic breeze of no fulfillment, those things which I have become used to and appreciative of find ways to depart or change. As I am left in both glory knowing how good it was, as well as sorrow because that good is dying, I begin a season of confusion and dismay looking for the answers to the problems which have come into existence. I wonder “why” and I wonder how to make it all go back to how it was. As always though, the answer isn’t found and the future remains unclear.

Basics of the time of year:
Friends move away, die or part for other reasons - Financial problems come into play - Intimate relationships end - Jobs are lost - Difficult to achieve tasks demand I take responsibility - Family issues erupt causing great turmoil – And various other complications come about.

THE WINTER SEASON-
An icy chill flows in my direction as I watch flakes of snow gracefully drifting through the cold air and ice forming all around me. I don’t stand in awe of the magnificence at first, but instead annoyed with how cold and desperate the season has left me. Hope has turned into acceptance of change and the change remains unpleasant. I do not look forward toward the foggy haze which lies ahead, but stare back to what was once a series of warm breezes of joy. It’s cold, it’s dark, and things are looking rough.

Basics of the time of year:
Some friendships are strained or dissolved –Financial problems continue to be an issue – Reflection upon the previous failed relationship(s) but not ready to move on – New jobs are started be it me getting a new job or someone close – Responsibility is biting hard and there’s no sign of relief – The family isn’t on good terms with one another due to various problems – And again various other complications are involved.

THE SPRING SEASON-
The flowers are beginning to bloom and the warm breeze I’ve missed oh so much again touches my skin while I hear the birds sing, see the squirrels play and swerve so as not to hit the kid who ran out in the middle traffic. The formation of joy goes from being a dream to a reality as I see the bad stepping off my path and the good shadowing me. The past is beginning to back off a bit but is not forgotten. Things are improving but there’s still a few questions to be answered.

Basics of this time of year:
Those friendships which were strained become stable again, and new strong friendships are made – The financial situation is improving often more so than expected – New relationships are formed and past relationships are beginning to fade from my mind – Everyone’s getting used to the new occupations and are becoming quite comfortable – I’m becoming accustom to some of the new responsibilities and the others aren’t an issue any longer – The family is back to its cold but hidden hatred for one another and everything is apparently alright – Yet again, there are also other changes and improvements.

THE SUMMER SEASON-
It’s getting hot and the streets are filled with excitement, smiles, and screams of pleasure. Everywhere you look is a flower which smells like love, or a puddle to splash in. Skin tones darken from what, for some, was a sickly white to a golden brown. Optimism flourishes and pessimism seems to have fallen away to the same place the long sleeved shirts and hoodies are kept. Blissful memories are being made and mental photographs are taken. The past is something to grin over, and the future looks as bright as the sun burning your skin. The answers being searching for are found, and the answer is usually “what does it matter at this point?”

Basics of this time of year:
Friendships flourish and are found around every corner – Money is readily available and no bill is going unpaid – Intimate relationships are strengthening with each moment and hopes are high – Promotions and raises are being given and of course well accepted – Responsibilities are both routine and far from my mind – As long as you can’t see past my families fake smiles and laughter, you’d think we all got along for a better reason than we’re just tired of the bickering – And once again, there are other changes and improvements.

So you see, there is an observable pattern in regards to my life and how it unfolds and it definitely goes along with the season. While no season is filled with nothing more than happiness and no is season filled with nothing but sorrow, each season appears to be themed based on said season. The pattern continues with each passing year and never seems to be different from what I’ve described above. While the seasons of my life (and the planet) are constantly changing, each season itself never does. It always conforms with, as I said, the “theme” of the time of year.

Now the purpose of this post most certainly wasn’t to tell you about my life or to inform you I’ve drawn a new conclusion, but instead was to ask a question. That question is this: Do you find yourself experiencing predictable patterns within your life which seem to repeat like clockwork in a similar way to myself, or in any other way? Or am I the only one who has such things happening?

Thanks.