Part 2: A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON MY WAY TO

OLD

(the Winter season of my life)

  

 Summer in a fawn's life ...

birth,

discovery,

spending time in gardens,

gleaning nourishment to grow and be strong and healthy,

 accompanied by siblings,

 and parents,teaching, encouraging, leading

........ and destroying like ravenous locust

all that is planted, colorful, green and growing....

but wait, that's another story!

Springtime ..... birth, new life, vigor, awareness

Summer..... discovery, growth, strengthening, bonding

Fall ..... wisdom, regrets, satisfaction, encouraging insights

Winter .... recollections and memories, acceptance or despair

The seasons of all creature's lives.

Personal Life-Experience Model in the Seasons of my life:  

Spring

 Parents

" ..... male and female, He created them....." Genesis, the Bible

together following well worn paths labeled:  

 dedication

choices

mistakes

bonding

trust

companionship

difficult choices

sadness

joy

satisfaction

encouragement

rejection

separation

forgiveness

peace ..... contentment

approaching the Fall of life together

(remember, this is MY model... other's will be different)

A strong

brave

vigorous

proud

male

who may  follow- at times -

the female's

instinctive sense of caution

in preservation of the species.

Summer and Spring of life

brings strength and vigor,

vitality

preservation of the species

through offspring ......

companionship and solidarity if no offspring.

Fall preparing for Winter

The shedding of Fall leaves after fruitful harvest,

the stripping away of fruit, preserved in jars on shelves in pantries,

stored fruits of labor.

Settling in for a season of rest

while partaking of the fruits of that labor. 

Scurry of activity to prepare for a long cold Winter,

(the Ant stored up much ... not so the Grassphopper)

Storing garden tools - once important, but this season unneeded -

 to have at your touch when needed ...... such as the snow shovel.

 Protect the fragile new life to come by covering with bark and straw,

(as we  do our children..... our gardens ......for they hold the  promise of

 blooms and fruit to come.)  

......... mulch, enrich, and protect

against the elements ......

 that which would seek and destroy

what is not prepared.

Winter

After a season of wise Fall preparation,

CAUTION is needed as we approach Winter ,,,,

 never having experienced what is

 lurking

in the

windows of other creature's lives...

The chill of  Winter

 The dormant  .... hibernating season of rest: 

Slow, sometimes painful steps trod along these barren paths;

strength .... warmth ..... encouragement ,,, companionship

often wanes from others who are engaged elsewhere.

  Unexpected health challenges disrupt plans,

 advise from loved ones often go unheeded;

the shroud of fog and chilling snow 

enclose and chill ... seemingly frozen in time.

 Small bursts of sunshine,

in a heart filled with memories,

warm and melt, making Winter paths easier to follow.

Set-in-our-way comfortable paths, known and trusted, and once followed 

assure us we can go on.

The shroud of Fall

and chilling barrenness of Winter

moves us away from Spring and Summer

that once provided

invigorating life challenges.

Life becomes more challenging in the Winter of our lives....

nourishment

shelter

injury

health

discouragement

frigid elements

companionship

faith

separation

from loved ones

whose paths have lead them elsewhere.

 Encouraging elements of the Winter season in our lives:

Memories 

 Loved ones

Faith

Wisdom

Grace and resolve to follow this season's paths

to wherever it leads.

Your child whispering in your ear,

"You showed us how to live,

but Dad showed us how to die."

Now... I have a favorite saying:

"I'm OLD

but not

OLD, OLD!"

And when

old, old

is the

culmination of the seasons of my life

I'll unhesitatingly walk down that path

to meet Jesus .......

and the one

who accompanied me 

through the other seasons of my life.

Original drawing by Monica Lawson not to be copied or used without her permission   10/20/14

In a twinkling of an eye it fades and grows dim

but is never lost......

because love never ends

and memories live on .....