When Seasons Change in Relationships by Jody Johnston Pawel, LSW, CFLE
Every season has a reason, a special beauty, and a special gift it brings. Relationships do too. Every relationship goes through changes, just as many trees go through changes each season. You and your relationships aren’t meant to be static and unchanging, but to grow and evolve. Yet, when relationships or others change, it can feel like a failure. We needn’t take it personal, however, if we look for the reason, beauty, and gift each relationship brings or has brought. By doing so, the life cycle of a relationship reveals a process that unfolds, revealing another step on your path to greater self-growth, for your highest good. There are many kinds of relationships and life cycles, and each reveals its special reason, beauty, and gift, if we only look beneath the surface, beyond circumstances and personalities. Think about someone you met only once, but you connected with so quickly that it made an impression on
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you. Remembering that person now, today, you still smile. These folks are like visitors from our spiritual community, briefly touching us to remind us we aren’t alone on this earthly journey. Though brief, sometimes that brush of a touch can be profound. These earth angels remind us that we are always connected to others, even if they aren’t meant to be part of our daily lives. While we often wish we could stay close to them, fate has other plans, so we feel grateful for what we had, however brief. It’s nothing personal. When relationships have shallow roots, they may last a long time but be superficial, like acquaintances you don’t know well. While not a close relationship, it doesn’t mean that person isn’t important. Smiling and saying “Hi” reminds us we are on this journey together, but don’t necessarily have lessons to learn from each other. When the winds of change blow, these relationships may fade away without much notice or sense of loss. We often still remember with a smile what was.
Autumn Rain 2020
