Changing of Seasons

As the summer comes to a close and the new school year begins, I find myself reflecting on the changing of seasons.  I’ve always loved living in Maine because, unlike other places in the country where the climate is less changing, we are blessed to experience the fullness of all four seasons (perhaps some to a greater extreme than others!)  Summer allows for Maine’s beauty to shine in all its splendor with the sparkling harbors dotted with fishing vessels, the late night BBQs which permeate the whole neighborhood with the smell of summer, and the tranquil sunsets which cast a golden glow on everything.  And yet, as all this comes to a close, there’s something just as exciting about the sounds and smells and sights of fall.  I can’t wait for apple picking followed by the smells of freshly baked apple pie, the crisp, refreshing feel of a beautiful fall day, and the trees bursting with bold colors of orange, red, and yellow as the leaves rustle in the wind.  Besides just the excitement of the new season, I can’t fail to mention another significant benefit of the season change: variety in my wardrobe once again as by summer’s end my warm weather clothes are becoming repetitive and boring!

While I love the carefree-ness of summer, by its end I find myself longing for the discipline of routine and a steady rhythm of life once again.  Oftentimes my prayer life suffers in the summer due to my own laziness and lack of routine.  You would think that the summer and vacation time would bring more time for prayer with less demands on my schedule, but somehow I always find myself struggling to remain faithful to prayer commitments and daily Mass due to the changing nature of each day in the summer.  I find the season change an ideal time to check myself and re-establish daily prayer routines or make new prayer commitments to strengthen my spiritual life and relationship with God.  It’s a chance to clean the slate and start over in a way, evaluating what changes I need to make in any areas of my life and then implementing them as I settle into the new routine this season change naturally provides.

Sarah Houde