Bitter Sweet

The other day I was eating a yoghurt ice cream and enjoyed the sweet sour taste in my mouth.?I guess the combination and contrast complimented each other.?Sitting in the garden with the birds singing their joyful song made me acutely aware of how simple life could be, yet it is everything but simple.

My thoughts went back to a time where I was just a child, looking for something to do.?This was before computers and cell phones.?I realized how much time we had.?Nothing was as rushed as it is nowadays.?We had bitter sweet times then, like we have now, but somehow these times lasted longer.?It feels as if the contrast between good and bad times these days’ blend together and we are so busy that we miss the actual turning of the season.?

My mother died in Autumn, in April, and whenever I see leaves turn orange and yellow I remember the loss I suffered many years ago.?I remember how slowly time passed during the time of loss and grief and how it felt as if my world were standing still while the whole universe just kept on spinning.

We all taste the bitter sweet of life on a constant level.?We move from one season to the next, whether we want to or not.?I do believe that every narrowing and transition leads to something bigger.?It reminds me of the birth canal.?We have to transition from the womb to the world and it is not always a comfortable experience.?However, what is the alternative??Understanding that seasons are a part of life is essential to build our own resilience and to integrate that every narrowing and transition ultimately leads to something bigger.?Our attitude once we arrive on the other side will determine if the transition was better.

Experiencing the bitter helps us to appreciate the sweet so much more.?If we never experienced sickness, how will we appreciate health.?Contrasts and seasons are essential to help us grow and move forward.

There is a hope for a tree that is cut down.?This scripture always gives me hope and purpose.?A tree will grow again even if it is cut down.?It might not look the same but the potential to keep on growing is always present.

I have discovered that transitioning with hope brings true transformation.?Making sure we experience the process and mindfully choose our attitude to make the best of the new opportunity is key.?When we see the process as an adventure and not as a punishment it is easier to let go of the old and to embrace our new reality, whatever that may be.

Life was never meant to be easy.?Life was always meant to be transformational.?

Enjoy the bitter sweet adventures of life.?In the end it is these transformational experiences that give meaning to life.