Artist in Residence

by Franne Demetrician

The sun is coming back! Have you noticed? Living here in the northeast means that every day after the winter solstice I watch the light returning to my days. The last several weeks I’ve been noticing how the five o’clock hour is now filled with light. In fact, as of this writing, there is still sunlight visible at 7:30 p.m. Now that’s cause for celebration.

I enjoy the changing seasons, despite my natural-born need for sunshine and light. The changes that take place are a source of awe and I look forward to each one. Yes, winter is cold, damp, and dark. But ahhh, the coziness, the sweaters, the warmth of a fire burning in our little hearth, the crisp air, and snow – I love snow in all its sweet silence and sparkle. Winter is an invitation to go within and I have learned to accept that invitation with grace.

And the onset of spring has arrived. In February and March, I could feel the faint flutter and swell beneath my feet as Mother Earth began to awaken from her long winter’s nap. The trees were stirring and beginning to bud. Spring takes my breath away with its burgeoning growth and beauty. It’s no coincidence that so many of our holy days happen in the springtime. It’s the time to celebrate life and bear witness to the sacred art of renewal and rebirth.

Summer is, of course, a time for fun like Sly and the Family Stone sang, “Hot Fun in the Summertime”. August is my birth month and as a Leo summer is MY season. All that sunshine and warmth energizes me and fills my soul. I spend as much time as I can soaking it up. I love the beach and am fortunate to live close enough to go often. We spend time with our friends and family enjoying barbecues and backyard movie nights. Every year I notice when the lightning bugs come out and the nighttime cacophony of summer crickets and cicadas herald the coming Fall.

As an artist, fall is a feast for my eyes and my palette and I take full advantage, always at the ready with my camera and paint.

My daughter was born in the fall, which makes it extra special. My husband and I chose the fall for our wedding and usually travel to the mountains to celebrate our anniversary – my camera and art supplies in tow. So much beauty at hand everywhere we go. Admittedly, as the sunlight wanes I can feel a shift in my energy and the desire to hold on to every ray. But November arrives and with it my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. With the end of our winter holidays the cycle begins yet again.

One way or another, regardless of climate, seasons in our lives change. I have noticed that when I resist the changes that arise, I suffer. There was a time when I dreaded winter and the loss of light. I would become depressed and withdrawn. As I have grown older, I’ve come to relish each day, each month, and each season as the precious gifts that they are. These last years have shown us how fragile our days can be and how fleeting life can be.

Living in a persistent state of gratitude has become a way of life for me. The same holds true for most things that result in changes in our lives. Recently the phrase “lean in” is used when we are faced with conflict or challenge. Rather than avoid or bypass it, leaning in allows us to embrace it. I’ve come to realize that leaning in and allowing challenges to move through in a natural and unimpeded way will for the most part lead to more ease than resisting.

Which brings me back to the art of embracing the “changing seasons”, whether that means another cherished winter, spring, summer, or fall; or embracing the aging process, or a grandson going off to college, or downsizing to a different home – leaning into these and embracing them can and do make for a life of gratitude and joy – and the sun’s return.

Rev. Franne Demetrician is an interfaith minister. She has been a licensed holistic health practitioner since 1995 and wrote a spiritually oriented weekly blog from 2015 -2018. Franne is a working artist, photographer, writer, spiritual counselor, mentor, and teacher.