Ugh, I just noticed the other day that it has almost been an entire year since my last post! Life seems to be flying by at a break neck pace. Thinking over this past year, there have been the great, the good the bad and the sometimes ugly times. Some are just moments and other seem like whole seasons. Hmmmm, I think I will just see if I can get back to blogging for my own sake. Thinking this may be cathartic.
I just got thinking about seasons the other day. It is something, in nature, that I really miss living here in the Philippines. Living in Pennsylvania most of my life, I did not realize how much I love the change of seasons. I know I have people complained about snow, the humid month of August, perhaps spring that may be too rainy....believe me, I have had my gripes with the icy roads too...freezing rain, But I love it. especially the change of the leaves in autumn, the smell of honeysuckle, new life after a cold winter and they list goes on and on.
Living abroad these past 7 years, I have grown to appreciate the subtle changes in temps and the lovely rain on the roof, beautiful leaves that change color, bougainvillea, palm trees everywhere and seasonal fruits. The Christmas season seems especially hard for me. Really though, here it is an "over the top" holiday with plenty of festivities, beautiful decorations, carolers and cheer. To me, it is just not the same away from family and when it is 85 degrees plus. It has been 4 years since we enjoyed a holiday in Pennsylvania. It was so funny to see that the "kids" could play in just a dusting of snow and loved trying to walk in it in bare feet. Ice skating was a delight and brought back great memories. Boy, I do not remember winter being so cold! Go to the other side of the planet and it is about the opposite. Our weather here in Davao City does not really fluctuate much. Pretty hot and sticky....one morning our thermometer read 79 degrees Fahrenheit and 97% humidity. This past few weeks have been such a gift. Overcast skies with cooler temps and a good bit of rain.
The other morning I was leaving our house for my morning walk around 5:15AM and man did it ever feel like autumn. It had rained in the night and the humidity seemed a bit lower and it had been windy leaving plenty of leaves in front of our carport. There were earthworms all over the road. It amazes me how quickly the feeling of the wind on my skin and a certain scent in the air can take me right back to the days of my youth. I do a lot of reminiscing these days. My kids are growing up and it seems like the season do not pertain to weather so much anymore, especially living here. D has been gone 2 years and now B knows he will be out of the house next year. I have done some crying, lots of praying and reading about how to tackle these feelings and how to really embrace and enjoy these new seasons. I can honestly say life is so very good and it thrills me to see my kids flying!
So, I find that some days resemble a nice spring day when the birds are singing and all is well. You just feel like nothing can touch you and you would love to shout from the roof tops how great things are. Other days feel like the deep dark wintry days when you just need a snow day. To hunker down by the fire consuming large amount of hot coco. You just want to hide inside. Other days, I am so hot I think I will blow up while rainy days seem so soothing. My point is, I am sure I am not alone in the changing of seasons. You have them no matter the weather and thanks to God's grace you can weather the storms and you can praise him for the sun too! There is purpose in each one. You can't skip t he parts you do not like and you can not control them. I find that I am continually being challenged and my reaction is my choice to make. Sometimes, I screw up royally and others I pass with flying colors. I am so thankful for seasons, both natural, emotional and spiritual. They are something wonderful and part of this wild ride I am on.
I just got thinking about seasons the other day. It is something, in nature, that I really miss living here in the Philippines. Living in Pennsylvania most of my life, I did not realize how much I love the change of seasons. I know I have people complained about snow, the humid month of August, perhaps spring that may be too rainy....believe me, I have had my gripes with the icy roads too...freezing rain, But I love it. especially the change of the leaves in autumn, the smell of honeysuckle, new life after a cold winter and they list goes on and on.
Living abroad these past 7 years, I have grown to appreciate the subtle changes in temps and the lovely rain on the roof, beautiful leaves that change color, bougainvillea, palm trees everywhere and seasonal fruits. The Christmas season seems especially hard for me. Really though, here it is an "over the top" holiday with plenty of festivities, beautiful decorations, carolers and cheer. To me, it is just not the same away from family and when it is 85 degrees plus. It has been 4 years since we enjoyed a holiday in Pennsylvania. It was so funny to see that the "kids" could play in just a dusting of snow and loved trying to walk in it in bare feet. Ice skating was a delight and brought back great memories. Boy, I do not remember winter being so cold! Go to the other side of the planet and it is about the opposite. Our weather here in Davao City does not really fluctuate much. Pretty hot and sticky....one morning our thermometer read 79 degrees Fahrenheit and 97% humidity. This past few weeks have been such a gift. Overcast skies with cooler temps and a good bit of rain.
The other morning I was leaving our house for my morning walk around 5:15AM and man did it ever feel like autumn. It had rained in the night and the humidity seemed a bit lower and it had been windy leaving plenty of leaves in front of our carport. There were earthworms all over the road. It amazes me how quickly the feeling of the wind on my skin and a certain scent in the air can take me right back to the days of my youth. I do a lot of reminiscing these days. My kids are growing up and it seems like the season do not pertain to weather so much anymore, especially living here. D has been gone 2 years and now B knows he will be out of the house next year. I have done some crying, lots of praying and reading about how to tackle these feelings and how to really embrace and enjoy these new seasons. I can honestly say life is so very good and it thrills me to see my kids flying!
So, I find that some days resemble a nice spring day when the birds are singing and all is well. You just feel like nothing can touch you and you would love to shout from the roof tops how great things are. Other days feel like the deep dark wintry days when you just need a snow day. To hunker down by the fire consuming large amount of hot coco. You just want to hide inside. Other days, I am so hot I think I will blow up while rainy days seem so soothing. My point is, I am sure I am not alone in the changing of seasons. You have them no matter the weather and thanks to God's grace you can weather the storms and you can praise him for the sun too! There is purpose in each one. You can't skip t he parts you do not like and you can not control them. I find that I am continually being challenged and my reaction is my choice to make. Sometimes, I screw up royally and others I pass with flying colors. I am so thankful for seasons, both natural, emotional and spiritual. They are something wonderful and part of this wild ride I am on.
