Its August 8^th already…time is just flying by!  Hard to believe, that a new school year, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas will be around the corner and we will be starting a new year after that.  When we are kids, time seems to drag so slowly, and now the older I get, the faster it goes!  And talking to other people, they sense the same.  Life catches up with us as we get older I guess?  We are zooming as children and life can’t keep up with us—now we are older and we can’t keep up with the wheel that turns us all. 

It does make my head spin at times when I try to even contemplate what, where, and why I have been where I have, with whom I have, and especially why!  Lessons learned, joys enjoyed, pain and sadness permeating all through it, finally wandering into wisdom and then peace—only to start anew the process of growth in some new direction or to some greater depth, exploring other aspects of what it means to be truly alive, with all of the senses firing and gathering information to process feelings, thoughts, and desires…looking for greater joy and love and endeavoring to share that new found experience with others—kindred spirits. 

We humans are a bee hive of activity and exploration; all seeking something to feed the spirit within and share in the discovery of what the human experience is all about.  We develop relationships and families, we work and build careers, and sometimes we even desire danger, or living on the edge, in what ever way something inside of us calls forth, to test ourselves—we explore what we are within and as a part of society.   Where are our boundaries of what is right for us?  How do we want to live our lives compared to how others tell us we should be?  Where do we fit in and for how long until we outgrow or assimilate that lesson, experience, friend, group, or place before something triggers change?  And what about others making the changes, or “forcing” change on us when we are not ready?

Therein may be the crux of some of our difficulties and the true test of what and who we are when we have what seems no choice, but to deal with the circumstances and make the best of them, that we challenge ourselves the most.  How do we approach change?  How do we approach circumstances beyond our control?  Dealing with change, even when it is a choice, can be tough; but when we are not ready for it? It can be exponentially more difficult, yet therefore, a greater gift for growth.  We may not appreciate that concept when it is happening, but sometimes when we look back, we see how circumstances or situations allowed us to develop or forge something of strength and beauty within us we could not have created had it not been for that challenge.  So we learn to trust in what is being given us for we don’t always see the inconspicuous benefits that are waiting at the end of the turmoil…our little pots of gold at the end of the rainbow after a storm.   We weather our tempests and the sea is calm again for a while.  We made it through.  And we will “sail” on to explore what is next—taking with us, and being able to utilize and enjoy, the bounty and people in our lives that we have gained. These are truly our blessings.