Seasons

I was born and raised in Florida.   In fact, I was born in what was called “a quaint little citrus town”.  I loved the feel of that town.  The bank was based on the dominant industries in the area – Citrus and Chemical.  Yep, citrus groves and phosphate mines.  There was a lot of money in the area.  Many families did well financially due to union supported jobs.  However, segregation was quite evident.  Even today, when I meet anyone from Bartow, the same question must be asked, “East Side or West Side?”.  I was born in the colored ward of Bartow General Hospital.  Thankfully, some things have changed.  But some have not.  

Being a Floridian meant I understood seasonal changes based on the calendar.  I knew Spring came in March near my sister’s birthday and Summer can in June near my brother’s birthday.  Fall and Winter were just dates on the calendar.  When I lived in Wellington, some neighbors from New York claimed they hated Florida because it had no seasons.  That was the most ridiculous thing I ever heard.  We have seasons – look at the calendar!!!  

Oh, but life can change in a minute.  As I stated in an earlier blog, life does not always go in a straight line.  I moved from Wellington Florida to Ballston Lake New York in April of 2015.  Right smack dab at the end of winter with snow still on the ground.  Something amazing happened – spring came.  Buds, Birds, and Bees.  I had not seen anything like it before.   The sun rose early.  The birds were singing, the trees and shrubs came to life.  Flowers bloomed and people were so happy to be outdoors.  Baseball games, music festivals, tulip filled venues and outdoor African drumming.  

Fall brought beautiful colors.  We went to Vermont (Green Mountain) to see the changing of the leaves.  So vibrant and beautiful.  Then Winter came – depressing and lonely.  Crazy cold weather brought snow and ice.  Miserable.  Then something happened – SPRING!!!  And we do it all over again.  Such extremes in climate and emotions.

Life can be like this as well.  Allow yourself to enjoy the beauty of the rebirth of spring.  Allow yourself to endure the sadness of winter and find a way to make those winter days better – winter sports, winter activities, etc.  This is where I learned resilience.  It was not easy.  Happy lamps were a necessity for me.  

If you need help with navigating seasons in your life, let’s talk.

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