A Change of Season

There is almost nothing I anticipate more than the changing of seasons in Perth from hot weather to cool. Technically, there are four seasons, but in reality, I think there are three. These are: cold and rainy, absolutely beautiful and stinking, bloody hot. During summer- that's December through February, it's stinking hot. Stinking hot can start as early as November and it can be stinking hot even into April. Today is the last day of March. Today, it was breezy and cool-ish. There is a chill in the air of an evening and thoughts turn toward the antipation of Winter activities...like wearing pants.
Even the birds are happy. You can hear it in their songs. I don't know all my Australian birds, but the Kookabura is unmistakable. Today, I was over at my mother in laws house and the Kookaburas were laughing themselves silly. The other birds around took their lead and there was a full orchestra of birdsong within a few moments. The combination of a light breeze and that lovely birdsong put me in a state of perfect bliss. The birds know that the earth around here is headed for a season of renewal- out of the brain burning heat and haze to a place of cool clarity which will hopefully include some rain. My youngest son wouldn't remember being an infant in Oregon, but when he sees clouds, he says to me, "I just LOVE these days". A child after my heart.
I have heard references to people's lives having seasons and I just love that. Isn't it true? We have seasons full of new life and joy and seasons which are sad and full of loss. Lately I've equated a season of loss with intense heat and haziness. When we are young, life is full of promise and we see seasons of potential. When we are older, we have seasons which can be characterized by loss, but in there I'm sure there is also a sense of promise that those seasons won't last forever. That's the lovely thing about seasons both in nature and in life...every so often they change and there is hope and promise in that.
No matter where you are in the world today, I hope that you are enjoying both the season of nature you are in as well as the season of life you find yourself in. If not, take heart that change is just around the corner.