The seasons teach me much.
I learn not to attach to the joys
that each brings with her.
I learn not to fear the sorrows and the hardships
that another brings along,
but I welcome them all as long, lost dear friends.
Receiving what they have to teach me
and letting go of what they take with them,
when they leave as gracefully as they came.
Only when you’ve sat through many seasons
do you have the knowing to sit still
when the storms come,
to not be shaken by the winds of trial
or the disappearance of consolations.
One learns not to attach to
the pleasant warmth of summer
or despair in the bitter cold of winter
or lose hope during the barren droughts
that endure.
But rather watch them all pass by
through the safety of your seat
upon the cushion of mindfulness.
This endurance roots a faith so deep
that no passing emotion, fear, or sorrow
can steal away.
For she is hidden deep beneath
the changing weather
in the dark and musty anchor
of the Eternal.
