Old Editor's Corner: January 2010

I was checking to make sure I had posted old Editor's Corners, and I didn't see this one. This is from January 2010.

Title: Seasons of Life
I received an email that had an attachment that was titled “Seasons of Life.”

The email contained a story about a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. He sent each of them to look at a pear tree that was far away. Each son went during a different season. After they had all gone and returned, he called them together to report what they had seen. As you can imagine, each son had a very different report.

The son that went during winter said it was ugly, bent, and twisted. The son that went during spring said it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The son that went during summer said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked beautiful. He said it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The son that went during fall said it was ripe, drooping with fruit, and full of light and fulfillment.

Each son was correct in his assessment of the tree. Each only saw one season of the tree’s life. The father told his sons that they could not judge a tree or a person by only one season. The essence of who people are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from life could only be measured at the end, when all of the seasons had come together.

Our current season of winter can sometimes be seen as bleak and barren. Daylight is shorter. The weather is colder. The rain is never-ending. It is a solstice season, thus extreme. In terms of our spiritual walk, winter can be perceived as a time of pain and isolation.

When the editing team talked about seasons, we described winter as a time of rejuvenation and new beginnings. It was a time to be dormant in the sense of resting and reflecting. It was a time to relax and enjoy what your planted (spring), nurtured (summer), and harvested (fall). From this point of view, it doesn’t sound so bleak and barren.

As I look at the leafless trees, I am amazed that soon they will be full of buds and promise. When winter grips, it can seem like it will never end, and I am always amazed how quickly it ends. Days grow longer. The weather grows warmer. The earth is green from the rain. The pain and isolation fade away.