Saturday, July 07, 2007

Words about the Season;

Our memories of summer are often intense because it is a season blessed with a vividness unsurpassed by any other time of year. Our senses are delighted by the bright colors, fresh scents, vibrant flavors, brilliant sunlight, and heat's caress.

There is a sumptuousness about summertime, as both flora and fauna come into their own, regaling us with natural beauty. Our day-to-day circumstances may not change as spring turns into summer, yet we nonetheless feel refreshed. Our burdens seem lighter, and we feel compelled to play, to travel, to relax, and to experience all of life's joys to their full extent during those extended sunlit hours.

Rituals specific to the summer season empower us to attune ourselves to the changes that take place in nature, and within ourselves as the weather grows warmer. Some summertime rituals are highly personal—remnants of past traditions that we have unconsciously preserved through practice. Others can and will be incorporated into our lives whenever we feel the need to experiencesummer's significance on a deeper level.

Summer then, at its core, is a season of light, and by opening ourselves and our spaces to this light, we honor all the joyassociated with the coming months. Unbolting windows and doors, arranging bright-golden blooms in a vase, and turning our faces toward the sun become a celebration when done with intent.

Summer is also a wonderful time to practice focused listening, as the air is filled with beautiful sounds particular to the season. To begin then, find a quiet, solitary spot. For a few precious minutes, pay attention to the workings of your mind and allow it to wander at will. Then turn your attention to the sounds resonating around you and note what you hear, whether the buzzing of bees, our children's laughter, or the song of distant birds.

Thoughts of summers passed, will likely evoke numerous pleasant and joy-filled images in your mind. However, if what you envision seems little more than a piece of your distant past, you can reacquaint yourself with the joys of summertime by immersing yourself in its real and immediate pleasures. Wake up with the sunrise, take a day trip tothe beach, indulge in an ice cream cone, or simply sit quietly in nature's embrace. For as always, the season will pass quickly, but while it remains in front of you, become enveloped in the richness of this life and renew yourself in the wonder of that it will be, no matter what the season may bring!

Loving you richly.
Missing you fully.
Enjoying our connection nevertheless,