My writing was recently acknowledged at a neighboring town’s writing contest at their public library. I write for me, but it feels wonderful to receive Honorable Mention for a piece that is so close to my heart. The real adventure will be reading it aloud in front of an audience. 😉. New chapters in life bring about new experiences, new acquaintances, and if you’re lucky, new friends who will add value and substance to your already beautiful life; and with that, I present to you, A New Season.

With each new season, comes an inevitable accompaniment of emotions.  Leaves fall, feathering through the air as they gently glide toward their next destination.  While the detachment from the tree is symbolic of letting go of the old, shedding what once was, and waiting in anticipation of what is yet to come, I can’t help but notice the beauty in [this leaf], caught so delicately by the resting fence.  It appears as though a loving hand placed it. The bead of water hugs the stem, giving it comfort, letting it know that while it may no longer be rooted to the tree, it is rooted with love.  The earth is much more powerful than humans perceive it to be.  Nature is not just merely in existence.  Nature feels.  Nature loves.  When we weep, the earth is listening, the angels come near, and there are lessons to be told, not just through experience, but also by opening our senses to what surrounds us and enveloping our soul in the earth’s blessings.  It is up to you to let down your mental blocks, dismiss your fears, feel your spirit with each breath, and channel your mind’s focus and energy toward what is surrounding you at any given time.  This image, which so beautifully mirrors the transformation occurring in my own life, is a reminder that the nurturing environment in which we live is not to be taken for granted.  Love and peace are everywhere.  It is what we live and breathe.  Do not let the opinions and biases of the mind allow you to think otherwise.

As you use your heart as a driving force, and your mind as a sounding board, you will make your way through the waves. At times, it may feel effortless, the soft touch of the water against your skin. Smooth sailing, if you will; things going your way, fitting within your timeline, allowing you to feel instant gratification within the given circumstances. But then, there are seasons where the current pulls you out past your zone of comfort, causing a riff in the way you view things happening. Change ensues, and it is up to you to decide what direction the ocean will take you. Sometimes positive changes result in affliction, as odd as that may be. If you don’t deal with past hurts and only bury them, they are bound to resurface. The winding road is beautiful, though, and as these hurtful truths and self-realizations come into the light, you are able to gain a better appreciation for what you have, where you have been, and where you are headed. You see, the imperfections that make you who you are, are the most beautiful things about you, for if you had never endured those experiences, you wouldn’t be you. Embrace the changes, forgive yourself for your past, show gratitude for what you have and who you’ve become, and live a life of emotional prosperity. Be Free. Grab the reins of your own destiny, listen to the choir in your heart, make a home in a place that soothes your soul and enriches your blood. Feel your inner self, your true self, developing and transforming. Breathe in the air that surrounds you, ground yourself with the earth, allow your worldly love to transcend your body and make marks on the souls of those who you love, and those deserving of love. Be true to yourself and never, ever let anyone dim your light. Allow pain to be released, strength be regained, and the earnest truth of your soul and intuitive mission to progress forward. Be you, be your biggest advocate, be the one who makes your heart full. Love yourself, love God, and love all. Be an exemplar of what you wish to see, and shine light on others, just as it shines within you.