the seasons of my life

Around ten years ago I heard “Landslide” for the first time. I was instantly hooked by its mesmerizing lyrics and haunting energy. It made me nostalgic for events I had never experienced and a specific set of lyrics have always stood out in the forefront:

“Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changin' ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?”

Those lyrics resonated with me then and they still resonate with me now. This time of year (September through November) always causes me to contemplate the past and ponder the future. It makes me ask questions I wouldn't normally ask. Can I handle the seasons of my life? It’s a question I’m asking right now because life feels insurmountable in many area.

Right now, I feel unprepared to handle the current season. Work, faith, love — all the important things — feel difficult to manage. On their own, each is manageable, but together the’re overwhelming. The seasons of life are often earmarked by good things — dinner parties, coffee dates, honest phone calls — but this next season is going to be earmarked by more difficult things.

There’s no right way to end this post. So I’m just going to stop and not attempt to end on some superficial note. This is my favorite time of year, so it’s kind of weird to feel stressed by it.