there's room for it all WORDS: ANNIE GEBEL A few decades ago I got married and moved from New York state to Washington state a month after graduating from college. It was a lot. There were a lot of emotions to sift through. Many tears were shed. So much laughter was shared. There was room for all of my emotions, feelings, struggles, and joys. Thank goodness, right?! Can you imagine how much more difficult that whole process would have been if I couldn’t mourn the fact that one of my best friends couldn’t be at my wedding because she couldn’t get leave from the Army while being so excited that her mother was making my dress? What about the emotions of our wedding day itself, when my little sister and my college friends laid in the grass and shared how much they’d miss me and how happy they were that I was marrying this man I loved and starting our own adventure together? That certainly helped them process sadness and joy all at the same time. I remember a similar working through of grief and happiness when family members have passed away. Looking through pictures, sharing memories, smiling through tears. Holding the extremes in life isn’t reserved just for weddings and funerals, though. It might seem like it because those are two emotionally charged events that present very real opportunities for us to embrace the extremes. If we look, though, there are chances daily to feel the good and the bad, the heavy and the light. And for some reason, this time of year speaks to me as a really great time to feel it all! I think it’s because in the fall we harvest what has grown and watch fields die. There’s a beautiful balance to it, especially in the way the trees change and release, preparing to rest. Nature, as always, leads us by example. Following her lead, we can find joy in pumpkin spice, apples and cinnamon, and warm mugs of hot drinks. At the same time we settle down from all the fun of summer - camping, rafting, all the s’mores - and find the routine that comes with school, sports, and cooler weather. I know people that love the summer and are sad to see it go and those who are more excited for sweaters and hayrides than sunny beaches and umbrella drinks. And there’s room for all those feelings.
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