The seasons of life are our fairy tales to leave behind for our next generations.
The past six months have been a very hard season for us all. I think this is the only time that I can remember where everyone I met experienced a hard season at the same time. In my former seasons masks were worn by children playing make believe on Halloween and now suddenly we adults wear them everywhere we go.
In each passing season of my life I try to review what the lesson may have been. My goal is to always try to grow. This current season I feel I learned more about myself than any other thus far. My outgoing demeanor may make it hard for some to believe however I now realize it truly is a mask I have worn most of my life for I was the biggest chicken during many seasons. I longed to soar like an eagle but felt more comfortable in my cage.
Covid hit us all in March and suddenly we were told to stay inside. I found this time to be confusing because I was slowly starting to feel like I wanted to fly. The community we were living in was not the right fit for me and I was scared to change but at the same time wanted to. The chicken was making every excuse to use the virus to stay put but her heart was telling her different. Luckily my heart was louder than my fear and we packed our boxes and flew to a new place. If I did not learn anything through past seasons it is how fragile and short life is. Who knows if next year will even come.
Now that God saw I bravely opened my cage door he gave me the gift of another fear to overcome. I have had fear of the dentist since childhood. I would get so upset at the thought of sitting in that chair with the drills hanging from the ceiling that his office would sign my school note without me being examined. My husband broke a tooth recently and after visiting the dentist informed me there were TV's on the ceiling now. I found that interesting but was not convinced I was ready to see it for myself until coincidentally the morning I woke with a piece of tooth missing from my back molar. The old Donna wanted to wait in her cage and watch TV in the comfort of her living room. But the eagle in training picked up the phone with sweaty palms and made the appointment. I will admit, I cried like a baby the first appointment and I am not looking forward to having two teeth pulled next month at all. I still would prefer watching TV in my cage however it feels like a weight has been lifted just saying I have a dental appointment.
My point in telling you all of this is! In this season i will soon be a grandmother and I want to be a role model for this little girl and if I stay a chicken in my cage I will fail her. Throughout the seasons of my life I wished I had a magic wand to make all of this anxiety go away. I am sure there will be times she too will wish there was a genie that could make all her fears and worries go away. I cannot wait to tell her it is fear that makes us grow and the magical dust lives inside her. Determination will make all of her dreams come true.
We could not have planned the events of the past few months in a million years but I am incredibly grateful for in this season I have learned to say yes to the situations that scare me. I now know I have worn this mask all the seasons of my life but never realized it. That strong eagle was always there but was never taught to fly.
Is there something you need to say yes to but are afraid of during this season? The eagle and magical fairy dust really lives inside of you too. All you need to do is focus on what is important and try your best to not let fear stop you.
Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory said Dr. Seuss. It truly is that magically simple.
It is now time to put on our masks, open the cage door and fly my friends. Together let us keep writing our fairy tale to leave behind for the next generations.
The Seasons of Our Life.