Life is Always an Adventure - Shirley

Michaela and Roger are both taking courses currently and deep into end of year assignments, so I have been tasked with keeping up the blog for the next couple of weeks.

We had snow today while I walked our dog, Lizzie and the park grew quiet. The only sound was a gentle tinkling of frozen droplets as they gathered in number, turning the world pristine white. Lately I have heard so many people complaining about the coming of winter, of the cold and damp, of the dark mornings and evenings and the need to wear coats, scarves and gloves. They are all looking forward to the next summer when no doubt they will complain about the heat and stay indoors with the air conditioning on full blast. To turn away from any one of our beautiful seasons is to turn away from nature itself. How could anyone feel disappointment when witnessing the magic of the changing seasons? What makes a seed grow? How does it know when to come up? How does it know when to reach full bloom? How does it know when to drop its seeds or offer its pollen to the birds and bees to ensure its survival? How does it know when to draw its nourishment back down into the ground and lay dormant until the next spring? How does it know all this?

The changing seasons are very important to us. We all enjoy different sports and pastimes that we pursue dependant on the weather. We have a deep sense of contentment as one season draws to a close and a feeling of excitement when we look forward to the new season and all it will bring. Life is also cyclical, constantly moving and changing, offering opportunities to those who seek them.

Where does all this fit into our sustainable life? Right at the heart of it. You can change your diet, your exercise habits, your job and the people you hang out with, but if you don’t change, then no real change has taken place. Change comes from within, before it can realized externally. The emotion I am referring to is joy. When was the last time you felt real joy? When was the last time the world stopped for you and grew quiet? My world stopped today while I appreciated life. Life is a desire, an emotion, something to be engaged in. If the desire for life is not met, then life will not be desirable and unsustainable. Life is meant to be embraced, loved, enjoyed to the fullest and most of all, always an adventure.