It’s funny how life feels so rushed. I feel like I haven’t been able to breathe since arriving back from our fall break trip. It’s not just me either. I feel as if the world is turning faster. And faster. And leaving me behind.
Maybe it’s just the aroma of change.
It’s everywhere.
It’s in the trees that are prepping for winter and are dropping their leaves. It’s in my sniffly nose as the allergens of fall run rampant in the air. It’s literally in the air, for as I exhale, I can now see my breath.
Change.
I think most people don’t like change. Or at least they like feeling comfortable, being consistent. And I think that change freaks some people out. Turns them into the leaf falling from the tree, clutching for what they know, not wanting the change as they spiral to the grass below.
But I think that sometimes when you take a step back, you can learn to appreciate change.
Change is a natural part of life. It’s a cycle. It’s all around us. Literally. Just look at your feet crunching as you step, in a pile in the grass off to your right, floating on the surface of the lake. And while change can be overwhelming, we need only look to find something that is also changing with us. Change brings us together in away, even though it is driving us apart.
But such is life. There is good in bad. There always is. Change is a sign of things to come. Like the falling of leaves promises the flowering of trees in a few months time.
I think we forget that sometimes. That through the rough and bad times we will make it through stronger and tougher than we were before. Just as a tree grows with each new budding season, we too will grow every time we pick ourselves back up and push through the cold, dark winter.
Like I said last time I sat here, sometimes you just need to stop and look. But it’s more than that. Sometimes you just need to stop and breathe. Appreciate what is around you. Absorb every sight and sound. Notice the change. Anticipate what is to come. And look toward the future.
Even though the world around me is rushing, all it took to put me back on track was a breath and some time to reflect on the change and think about the good things that lie ahead. Such is the healing power of nature.
Sometimes you just need to stop and breathe.