“No longer forward or behind,
I look in hope or fear;
But, grateful, take the good I find,
The best of now and here.”
J.G. Whittier
As October beckons deeper into the Autumn season, it’s hard sometimes not to long for a warm summer day- just one more time. Be it the dappled yellow sunshine, dancing upon shaded leaves of green; or a quiet, lazy afternoon… shimmering with waves of heat across a velvet lawn.
Now, with the turning of the calendar, the sunlight seems softer, almost shaded. A mere shadow of its once bright self. The days are increasingly shorter. There’s an edge to the breeze – we call it invigorating – a hint of things to come. A tinge of frost greets the morning air, with crystalized drops of dew like ice. And the night invites a sweater, by the hearth of a glowing fireside.
Each of the four seasons has been blessed with their own distinct characteristics. Qualities of sound, weather, sense, and colour. Blending together, they become part of the tapestry of our lives. Nature’s creations are like a backdrop, the loom as it were, as we weave our personal strands in and out of the years. Be it a mild winter, cool spring, dry summer, sudden fall – each has their own place within the fabric. Over… under… they are woven again and again, as days become months, become years.
Personal circumstances are also threads for the warp and woof. Decisions we make, events taken part in or not, all have their own place, pattern, and colour. Our acquaintances, family, and friends contribute threads of their own. How much we should like to be able to choose the shades and designs woven onto the loom of our lives!
Yellow, red, orange… perhaps some cooler, calmer greens, violet, and blues. Warm, happy, and inviting. Such fun it would be, to step back for a moment and catch a fleeting glimpse of what surely is a beautiful pattern of weaving. One which defines, explains, and depicts the lives we have led thus far.
Yet… would it really look the way we imagine, when taken off the loom? If we could consciously choose our own colours and design? Or would the bright hues we like seem harsh and glaring? Blending and running into each other, with no form or dimension. And the pattern itself? Unique and distinct? Or flat and lifeless, merely a jumble of confusion. Would our likes, dislikes, prejudice and bias disrupt an otherwise pleasing presentation?
It may be a good thing after all that we are not the Master Weaver. For there is indeed a rhyme and reason to God’s choice of design, which our own would lack. He sees the whole in all its beauty, we see but a small part… an unfinished piece. Omnipotence is not necessarily our strong point. And we would perhaps be disappointed, in what is as yet, an unfinished piece of work.
Stop and think. Would we willingly choose to thread darker, more somber colors into the tapestry, no matter how necessary they may be? The blacks, browns, and greys. Colours of dissonance, some of which may not be pleasing to the eye, and as such unwelcome.
Paradoxically, without these sterner colours, representing as they do, times of discomfort, and even sorrow… life’s sweetness and joyful times would go overlooked. Unable to stand on their own, the inherent goodness they define and represent would be lost to sight. Sadly faded… or forgotten. They could not shine alone
Life needs the quieter, softer moments – reflection, introspection, sorrow and disappointment. The purples, blacks, browns serve a purpose in the larger scheme of things. They help provide a framework. For like it or no – they too have a place in the tapestry of life. In their own way, these less than favoured colours add depth and dimension. Allowing a framework for the sweetness and joys of our lives; that they might stand out, more noticeable… and be celebrated.
ALL the colours play an integral part in the tapestry of life. They serve a purpose. Helping to characterize the seasons we live. The better to give substance and meaning to our days, delineating the paths being woven, as we travel the journey set before us.
Savor the gift of each moment. Open your heart and mind to the different threads weaving themselves in and out of each new day. Bright and sunny, dark and somber – it’s okay! They all have a place in the pattern of our lives. Accept what is there and revel in it, however briefly. For the design will change in countless ways… over, under, in and out… as time and the seasons continue their cycles, throughout the years to come.
“But, grateful, take the good I find,
The best of here and now.”
What a magnificent tapestry the Master Weaver is creating!
One day, we will see this for ourselves – better understanding
the why’s and wherefores of our lives – and rejoice in its colours and design!
