THUNDER BAY – Editorial – Spring, summer, fall, winter … round and round we go. We recognize them, we may even welcome them. We know their traits, their attributes and their shortcomings, and we accept them for what they are, whether it is easy or not.
So to with the seasons of my life …. I think back on a childhood of innocence and safety. It was beautiful, as beautiful as the most amazing summer. I had no clue the challenges and hardships of this world for they simply did not exist in mine. A lack of treats was seen as Mom’s strict parenting rather than lack of funds and lack of freedom was viewed as parental protection. Life was welcomed, enjoyed and the future was simply a land of dreams.
The teen years brought the predicable rebellion. I knew it all and now … I wanted to see it all. Dad was gone and Mom laid awake in fear, fear for the daughter who would not stay close enough to protect.
Adult years brought the hardships of life into the spotlight. Here I quickly learned that not everyone was supportive and encouraging and some could even be downright cruel if not dangerous. Here I relied heavily on the belief of my parents. They had told me I was strong, and intelligent and beautiful and it mattered not if my partner disagreed, for I held on to their faith and their love like the memory of beautiful summers past. It was their faith that allowed me to endure and survive the coldness of the winter.
And then … the spring again and the freedom found in the knowing. It is not a naïve smile that adorns my face now, but rather one of the woman who has come to terms with her seasons and her shortcomings. The smile of , one who has learned that I will never be perfect, but that I am perfectly beautiful as I am, while I move forward to all that I can be. There is no stubborn hanging on to traits in this season. Rather there is simply heartfelt and realistic analysis of all that has transpired, and a knowing, a conscious decision that determines what must be cherished and carried forward, and what now must be refined or discarded all together.
Spring, summer, fall, winter … I have learned from you all, and I continue to learn each step of the way towards my amazing sunset.
I love you!
Sandi
