Wednesday; October 13

Spending much of my early life in South Florida, we didn’t have much of a fall season. I guess the temperatures would cool a bit (and the humidity would lessen), but we didn’t experience the great color changes that most of rest of the country enjoyed. Since we weren’t surrounded by the fall colors, I don’t know much about the process that brings out the golds of the aspens or the reds of the maples, but one thing that I did learn was that this change was the natural byproduct of the maturing process. When things were new – like the beginning of spring – everything put on a sharp green color and new growth, yet as the year comes to an end, the foliage begins to fade away, but not without a flourish of amazing colors. The change symbolizes the fragility of life, but for a brief time, the colors are vivid!

Have we thought about how human life parallels the growing season? When we are young, things are new and exciting. There is new growth and exhilarating discoveries, yet as we age, the fragility of life becomes a reality. We become more aware of our own humanity because it doesn’t take nearly as much to separate us from our source of exitance. Unfortunately, when we could be at our brightest and most colorful, people tend to dismiss us as waning and aging. Youth always has the advantage in life, but we mustn’t overlook the beauty of our older maturing people.
Do we know someone whose life is sailing away into their sunset years? What can we do to help them stay vital and relevant? Who knows, the beauty they possess may be just what we need to add a vibrant hue to the splendor of our world.

Think About It!

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