season: n. one of the four quarters into which the year is commonly divided; an indefinite period of time

The change took place as quickly and easily as the flipping of a switch. I awakened this morning to cool, crisp air. I had to turn on the lights in order to dispel the darkness. The atmosphere had a damp, quiet feel to it. Fall wasn’t just “in the air.” It arrived.

Summer is now in the rearview mirror.

While I checked out the transition, a different kind of season entered my life as well. I did not hear a knock at my front door. I wasn’t given notice of its arrival so I could schedule it into my calendar. But it came anyway, uninvited. Grief arrived and settled in.

My partner passed away two years ago. I had never experienced grief, so the whole ordeal was foreign to me. Time passed, though I cannot articulate “The 5 (or 7) Stages of Grief.” The initial period of mourning, accompanied by a perpetual lump in my throat, was replaced with sadness, loneliness, and an attempt to find solid ground (not in that particular order but, rather, a mishmash, often occurring all at once.)

I cannot say I’ve gotten used to his absence. It’s actually been an adjustment, like when you know you aren’t capable of running, so you walk.

Grief, however, came to visit again today. I had other plans, other things to do. I wasn’t prepared for it . . . it has touched the very depths and core of my inner soul.

As in nature, life often has its own seasons. There are those times when all is well with the world, and we revel in the joy of being alive as we laugh with family and friends. Then, without warning, family health issues, an unexpected set of circumstances, or poor choices made by those we love hover over us like the cold, dark days of winter.

Most of us have our favorite season of the year, the one that feeds our soul so much we would like to experience it continuously. While some people move to a more favorable climate when harsh or unpleasant seasons come, that isn’t practical or possible for most of us. The majority of us must endure. We must wait for time to pass as we go through, awaiting a change of season.

So it is with the seasons of life.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 excerpts

Whether I like it or not I am, once again, in a season of grief. I have no idea how long it will last. There is no way around it. I cannot speed it up or shorten it. I must go through it.

That same principle applies to all of humankind. You may not be in a season of grief, but perhaps a season of financial problems, despondency and depression, relationship issues, or unemployment, to name a few. Whatever type of season you might find yourself in, know that God is willing and able to meet you and walk with you as you await change. All you need to do is reach out to Him and ask for help. That’s what I do.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

I am convinced such experiences are designed by my Creator to make us stronger, better people, those who actually feel, rather than remaining calloused and uncaring.

I miss my partner. But in my aloneness, I am not alone. God is with me.

This, too, shall pass.