The other day a friend began cribbing as the summer temperatures climbed steadily. She wanted to fast forward to autumn and winter and skip the intervening summer weeks given a chance. Covid of course made escaping to the hills a distant possibility.
The very same person might desperately yearn for some sunshine when it has been pouring for a few days in a row. Damp homes, wet clothes, flooded roads are enough to drive anyone up the wall.
Think about it. Summer is not just blistering heat. It has its blessings. Succulent mangoes, sun-dried vegetables and crisps, abundant solar energy what with germ destroying properties, a season for cold food and summer wear in pretty colours and airy cotton and much more.
Instead of complaining, we would be kinder to ourselves if we realised and accepted that every season has a place and role in nature’s scheme of things. Don’t our lives go through many seasons, many twists and turns, ups and downs and emotional highs and lows? Besides what happens to and around us at any given point of time, what complicates matters is how we react and respond. By immediately labelling something as good, bad, terrible, whatever and working up a whole range of emotions around it (which influences our thoughts and actions) we only end up amplifying and exaggerating what is a natural, manageable occurrence.
Maybe we could all come together and start planting more trees so that the next summer becomes bearable. And perhaps we could also spare a thought for those who toil day in day out, summer, or winter, rain or shine to serve or make life smoother for someone else because the nature of their job is such or because they don’t have a choice. Providing footwear and umbrellas, creating birdbaths and drinking water facilities are simple things that could make a world of difference.
If we can remain level headed and accepting through it all and find and look for the one redeeming feature from every situation we will definitely fare better. As the Book of Ecclesiastes says “To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”