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Time passes, the seasons are there to remind us of that.  Right now it’s fall, it is preparing to pass the baton to winter.  My eyes are drawn towards the neighbor’s birch tree, its yellow leaves are moving in a rhythm that only they can follow. It is a dance that shakes each leaf individually, as if each of them is greeting me, the sun makes them shine like tiny golden stars. I hadn’t realized it was windy, outside the window where I am sitting, nature is barely moving.  In contrast, the leaves of the birch seem to vibrate, a gust shakes the tree, many leaves break away from their branches floating in different directions before landing on the ground.  It’s a beautiful aerial ballet.  Others are still clinging to the branches which makes me happy because I’m not ready to see the tree denuded of its beautiful yellow color.  Once the wind has calmed down I realize that the birch is looking puny.  Around me, the beautiful autumn colors are slowly fading day by day, and winter is slowly approaching.  Right now I am not quite ready to say goodbye to all the beautiful shades of fall, but it is necessary for the cycle of nature and life.

Time flies, it is inexorable, each season has its strengths and weaknesses. Each season brings us something different, a change to our environment.  At the start of each season it feels like life is starting up again, like a birth, we might feel a sense of loss as it moves to make way for the next one. The rhythm of the seasons is certain in certain places but in others it is less noticeable, they run into each other without a fuss.

Time can pass without us realizing it, we cannot change the time that has passed but we can appreciate or despair of what it has taken from us, given us, or where it has taken us.  It’s not the fault of time but our perception of time that sometimes makes us want to hide our heads under a pillow.  But wherever we are, our time is ours, it is very individual, it doesn’t belong to anyone, it follows its own rhythm. The way we interpret time was created by humans, it is a thermometer that makes us compare ourselves to others or judge ourselves.  We judge time, giving it more power than we give ourselves. Time passes in our heads and around us.  It is not always pleasant to see that life goes on with or without us or without loved ones.

Near the birch tree, a magpie lands on top of it, chickadees and a few blackbirds land in the meadow and in the shrubs.  Birds bring me a feeling of joy, some see them and think their only purpose is to survive, but for me when I see them flying I see them enjoying being what they are, they seem to be having fun doing pirouettes between heaven and earth. They don’t spend time lamenting over wasted time, they live in the present moment.  Nature has taught me to know myself better and to appreciate myself better, when I am out for a walk in the forest I have no judgment, I feel at peace with the world, with the universe. Time stands still, it doesn’t matter anymore, I focus on what’s around me and I take the time to admire, study and appreciate it.

Here, the winter season is inexorably approaching. The cold, the frost, the mist and the snow will present themselves with their white and gray palette but we can also add the blue of the sky for a very nice contrast. This palette is full of treasures too if you take the time to examine it.  The mist is like a curtain that obscures our view for a little while, but when it rises we can see everything. There are striking contrasts, details that one didn’t notice especially when the colors were blinding us.  The first snowfall in the Swiss Alps brought this to the fore for me, a lot more details presented themselves to me as I looked at the peaks and ridges that separate each of them to create a magnificent range.

With age I have learned to appreciate time and give myself more power than I gave it.  I’ve learned I have no regrets, what’s the point of wasting time over that?  Regrets don’t bring us anything, but they can take away our joy of life.  I can’t change the past, only appreciate the lessons learned.  I no longer use the phrase “it’s a waste of time” because I choose how I want to experience my time.  Who decides if it’s a waste of time?  We are all different, so only ourselves know what is important to us.  Now, in this new season of my life I appreciate and recognize the present moment. There are so many beautiful things to experience and discover when you don’t worry about where the time is going, it is more important to live this moment that is given to each of us.  By making peace with time, I also made peace with myself.  I like change and the unexpected so I count on time to bring me both.