Changing with the Seasons - learning to appreciate change

Have you tried to resist the change of seasons? Perhaps, like me, you were raised in a tropical climate and have not learned to enjoy cold winters since a young age. I tried to pretend the winter was not a big deal. Well, I learned the hard ways to take it seriously, feeling in my bones the ice melting, taking the heat from my body. Wearing winter clothes from Brazil was indeed not appropriate for the winter in Ithaca.

This realization was a gift to me: we tend to take what is right in front of us for granted. There is so much to learn and appreciate growing in a place that is warm all year long, as well as there is so much to learn and appreciate growing in a place with the clear four seasons change.

 What have I learned with the changes of the seasons?

It is November and already snowing here in Ithaca. That brings us the awareness that the seasons are changing, and we can find the signs everywhere. However, perhaps half of the people in the world have never lived the change of the seasons. I shared my personal insights and learnings in a previous posting when we moved from Brazil to the United States (more in Pack for a Purpose). This time, I share the wisdom that came from living the change of seasons.

The reference I used to have of what is cold-freezing changed entirely when we moved to Ithaca. I learned that clothing is indeed a matter of survival. It was progressive, the learning, the understanding, the shift of perspective. Many people without homes in Brazil live on the streets. One can express solidarity by making and bringing them meals, blankets, ears to listen, a word of comfort. Where are the people without housing in this harsh winter of Ithaca? Where do they go? What is insecurity? Who are the vulnerable? A new context, new ways of thinking and acting.

With the change of seasons, one must prepare to survive. The mind is set for change. No one knows how long or how hard the winter will be, but everybody knows winter is coming. Having such predictability perhaps brings some comfort. Then I progressively started to appreciate the seasonal changes in a way I was not expecting. Looking for the signs of the changes, noticing the leaves turning colors, the fall of the leaves, the dry leaves spread and accumulated on the ground, the wind blowing them up in the air. The beauty in the process of the change, not yet in the season that was coming.

What was it like for me to prepare my mind for the change of the seasons? It was like intentionally seeking joy in each one of them. Even winter.

1. My first reaction in the first winter (which, by the way, was one of the coldest in Ithaca) - I did not know that I did not know! I learned that I was not ready to accept the change. How do I know that? Because naively, I had to go through a series of almost freezing and sickness moments to learn that the heaviest clothes I brought from Brazil would not serve for the winter of Ithaca. I experienced winter in a new context! My definition of winter expanded.

2. Ready to accept: PUT ON NEW CLOTHES - When I finally got proper clothing, what a difference! It is like changing ways of thinking; we need to switch. We tend to hang on to things that do not serve us any longer, sometimes because that was all that we knew. Am I ready to let go of things that don't help any longer? - Changing the wardrobe for the coming season is not a habit we usually have in Brazil. We have the potential to wear the same clothes all year long. So that was a new process for us. A process that we had to learn.

   1. As an opportunity to be grateful for the past season clothing: passing on to others what does not fit any longer, folding and storing the ones that we will use in the next year, by doing that, you cultivate the sense of gratitude and remembrance of others in need.

3. Ready to embrace - For me, assuming each season means more than live traditions. It is very nice to celebrate the season's traditions, remember history and have a collective celebration! However, what made a more significant impact for me was the involvement, the waves of engagement, and genuine care that each season inspires in different ways. It is about how the uniqueness of the seasons impacts people that make the change beautiful!

4. Ready to appreciate - What a wonderful world this would be if we all could embrace our human diversity the same way we celebrate and value the diversity of the seasons! Each one highlights a different perspective of the creation, while each one has its place and purpose.

   1. I discovered a new way of appreciating the sunlight and the outdoors! By seeking creative learning in nature and playing outdoors! Wonderfully reconnecting with nature. (A special thanks to STEAM in Nature Summer Program, who, even in quarantine, made it possible to connect at a distance).

   2. The passion for terrarium making with the kids began in winter time (blog posting Having Fun Making Terrariums!). I discovered a new way of appreciating the cozy indoor moments with the family! By seeking creative ways to develop new skills while indoors during the wintertime. Also, giving another meaning to virtual connection during these times of Covid-19 and appreciating the small group connections, bible studies, book clubs, creatively learning new ways to build fellowship.

Here is the most exciting thing happening to us. When we first came, we missed the constant warm weather from Brazil and were blind to the beauty of the cooler seasons. Today, I can say that we are growing into appreciation by intentionally seeking the beauty of each season. Like watching our children grow and appreciating each special moment we have with them, we make an effort to create those special moments every season. Outdoors or indoors, with or without technologies, with the heart, the mind, the soul into whatever is given to us in the present moment.

I have learned to appreciate the process of change towards a purpose much more extensive than any human mind can imagine. It is about enjoying the journey by cultivating gratitude, compassion, and a sense of interconnectedness.

Thank you,