Seasons of Love

Whenever I have thought of seasons I have thought of change. How nature changes as we journey through the four seasons of the year, winter, spring, summer and fall. Although I don’t normally like change, moving through the four seasons I’m okay with because each season has it’s own beauty and brings with it it’s own gifts.

Today while I was running at the gym listening to a new play list I came across a song the “Season of Love” from the play Rent. I had heard it many times before but today listening to the words it reminded me of a church service I attended last week. The service was a large Anglican service for the consecration of a new Bishop. It was a very beautiful and moving service which flowed easily. People from all over came together in celebration. As I looked around at the thousands of people there I imagined his congregational members were not only celebrating but also feeling some sadness as the man that has led them and cared for them, moves onto other callings. I felt for them, as the church I attended had gone through a change in ministers not all that long ago and I knew there would be sadness for themselves in amongst their joy for him. The service itself was so much more than going through the rituals and promises of the consecration. It was so very personal of the man being honoured. From the children’s time, to having his daughters share in the readings and perform liturgical dance, the Scottish music that was played throughout, it was all connected to a man who was obviously dearly loved by many. A man who had made connections with the First Nations people who were there drumming, to some of us "non-Anglicans" who had attended previous Sunday services and came to witness this moment in his life. It didn’t matter who we were, where we had come from or what our beliefs were we were all welcomed and worshipped together connected through one common thread, our care for him. It was a service full of love and I left there feeling very spiritually uplifted and moved by the openness and love that everyone there shared.

The song also made me realize that I had never thought about love being a season before but in many ways it is. Our feelings of love change and grow throughout our lives as we journey through the seasons and years. As a child growing up I always knew that my parents loved me, after all how could they not, I was their child. The words in the song remind us that love is a gift from up above. It is a gift that I have had all of my life, growing up in a caring loving family and now having young adult children of my own, I have always known I was loved. As my family has grown with sons and daughter in laws joining us and now a grandchild on the way the unconditional love we share grows and expands.

In the past two years though I have moved into a new “season of love” where I have realized I am not only loved by family but also by friends. In this season of love I have finally been able to open my heart and feel the love deep inside me. To be loved and feelloved by people who have no other reason to love you except for you being the person you are is such an amazing blessed gift. As I sat holding hands saying grace with loving friends the other night I thought to myself, “life doesn’t get any better than this”. At that moment I felt loved and at peace with life and thankful for all that I have been blessed with. Life is so very good at this moment, in this season, yet when I soon hold my new grandson in my arms for the first time I know I will feel the gift of love from up above flow through my heart for this new child and life will have once again just gotten better. A new season of love will have begun.

                                                                   A symbol of love

Life and love always change as relationships change, like the seasons of the year, new ones are formed and others end, each bringing us their gifts for a time. Without the seasons in nature and the seasons of love we could not exist. As this season of winter ends and we move into spring I will remind myself of all of the gifts I am so blessed to have in my life. To love and be loved by family and friends is my greatest gift from up above and someday I pray all people everywhere will be blessed by many seasons of love.