Has autumn arrived?

When a season passes you by, without giving you what you expected, it’s hard to accept the next season in line, queuing up to fulfil or dash your hopes of whatever it is you equate with that time of year.

I’m talking heat in the summer, falling leaves in the autumn, snow in the winter, and sunshine in the spring.

It’s not rocket science, but the world is far from straight forward when it comes to climate.

So we shouldn’t be surprised with a lack of summer sun in New Zealand; or a burst of unexpected spring heat in Britain.

Life’s like that; things we’ve been doing for centuries are just as unpredictable now as they ever were.

Take babies, for the sake of argument.

If you’re a first time mum or dad, I’m told nothing prepares you for the overwhelming impact of your first born.

I’ve watched many of my nearest and dearest reproduce in recent years and not one of them said “This is wonderful; it’s exactly what I expected!”

I’ve seen frustration pour out of every avenue of expression, and why? Because it wasn’t what they had in mind when they were gestating, nesting, and buying tiny clothes that you want to rub all over your face because they’re so soft.

The natural course of life is erratic.

Where were you 10 years ago?

Would you have predicted you’d be where you are now? Doing what you’re doing? Loving who you’re loving? And living where you’re living?

I wouldn’t have had a clue.

And that’s good.

It's meant that instead of reflecting on my life and wondering why this or that never happened, or why this dream never came true, or that plan never came to fruition, I look at my life and say, “well bloody hell, I never saw that coming, what a fantastic surprise!”

It’s just like the warm glow of sunshine when it’s not summer.

Unbeatable.

We’ve got to let the seasons run their course, whatever that brings. We have to try not to resist the rain, chastise the cold, or shun the sun (we’re all guilty of having said “it’s too hot”, don’t deny it).

And it’s been said we should make sure we live the decades of our lives fully too, and let our growth run its natural course.

If not, we’ll only want to return to previous decades later in life, at a more inconvenient time, when our behaviour will be frowned upon with onlookers muttering “grow up and act your age”.

Well so far I’ve worked hard to live my decades fully, so I should be on track to grow old gracefully.

However, I will always bounce on an available trampoline, and I make no apologies for that. I don’t believe there’s only one appropriate decade for that kind of fun.

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