October…A Reminder of Change!

Autumn Leaves
Image by Tom Olliver via Flickr

So far this month has been one of many contrasts! The great autumn colors of the trees have seemed especially brilliant outside our windows this year. Some days have been wonderfully warm and sunny, perfect for time outdoors hiking on a mountain trail or raking the falling leaves. While on other days the temperatures have plunged below freezing, as if warning us to prepare for the coming winter!

Seasons
Image by *~Dawn~* via Flickr
Pumpkins, photographed in Canada.
Image via Wikipedia

The area farms display an abundance of pumpkins, gourds, and varieties of squashand apples to take home and find the recipes for fall dishes, such as traditional pumpkin pie, baked butternut squashapple crisp, and pumpkin soup. It is an inspiration to the eyes of an artist, as well as to the resident chef.

As the month of October ends, I am reminded of how life just does not stay constant but is always changing and transitioning into new phases.

Sometimes I am ready, sometimes not,                                                                                                                     but nature just outside my window is always there…                                                                                                                                              quietly reminding me.

Quote…Life as a River

River...“Nothing is ever the same. Rivers are symbolic of our lives, moving and ever-changing. Movement is life. We feel freedom as we move with the currents…”                                                                                                    Alexandra Stoddard

This quote is from a small book by Alexandra Stoddard, entitled Grace Notes, A Book of Daily Meditations (p.175, 1993). It sits in a basket and I regularly pick it up and read one or two pages at a time…over the years my copy has become well-worn and in a few pieces. For a book…that’s a good sign!

Even though we may take comfort in the familiar, realizing the changing nature of life helps individuals and families to meet the daily stresses, and sometimes crises, of life. Being flexible can help us solve problems and cope with challenges. These same elements are used by artists as they design a piece of art–being able to explore new ways of working with certain materials or considering multiple possible answers are examples of the creative process they need to solve problems and make the artwork that they desire. In life, as in art, may we be able to move with the currents…