Embracing the seasons of life
Anyone who knows me really well will have heard me say that I wrestle with the word ‘season’.
I’ve never been able to express perfectly why this innocuous word has the power to unsettle me so much.
In part, I think the very notion of change and things not staying as they are makes me feel uneasy. I’ve never been one to embrace the discomfort of new stages or experiences. It definitely takes me a while to adapt and adjust to a new environment or situation.

I think I am also inclined to rebel against the concept of seasons when they are used to say that the difficulties of this time will soon pass – as though just knowing that things will change should make what I’m feeling ‘ok’.
And yet, I KNOW that life is fleeting… I have been told so many times that the baby years are gone in the blink of an eye and that I should enjoy each season before it’s over. I so often say to Sam or the children that ‘you only live once!’
I’m also inherently practical. I can see my older children growing and maturing. I know that summer will be here before we know it, and our lifestyle will shift to outdoors for a few months. I also know that we are not created to stay the same. We are all in a process of metamorphosis as we move through this life.

A fresh experience of seasons
Since moving to our property, I’ve noticed that, for the first time in my life, I am actually enjoying each season.
Perhaps it is being more aware of the weather and seeing firsthand the physical changes in nature, especially living in such an isolated and open landscape.
I can’t wait for Spring to properly spring… the blossom and fresh leaves are beautiful and the warmth in the air after so many months of bitter winds and chilly days is delightful. Equally though, the first fire of the winter season is celebrated – winter brings with it the natural urge to hunker down and read more; to cook long slow meals and to get to bed earlier. And then there’s autumn: the wind down from a hot summer with all its trips to the beach and leisurely meals outdoors.
Of course, none of this is ‘new’! I’ve had 44 years of changes in weather… but now I’m savouring the seasons more and looking forward to the next one with new hope and excitement.
Promises of what’s to come
When we lived in the suburbs, I can’t remember having such a strong sense of expectation. Days rolled into weeks and months and years without great significance. In fact, much of our life pre-farm feels like a bit of a blur.
‘Looking forward’ now involves planning how to improve something, seeing a new way of tackling a task or changing how we do things next time. An example of this would be our winter veggie patch. Last winter, with the birth of our seventh baby, we completely ignored the garden. All our energy went into caring for our daughter who was born tiny and took time to settle into a rhythm of feeding.

So this winter was our first attempt at growing brassicas and greens. We did all the right things: bought healthy seedlings, composted well, watered and weeded as needed. But the lack of winter sun prevented us from experiencing much success. We grew a lot of leaves, but not much else! Last week, the children and I went to clear out the beds, but as we were about to pull up the plants and I was bemoaning the fact that nothing had ‘worked’, my eldest daughter said ‘But mum, this is only our first year! Next year will be better! We’ll plant earlier when it’s still warm and I’m sure more will grow!’
This perspective shift was inspiring. Yes, nothing much grew this year. That doesn’t mean we won’t be successful NEXT SEASON! We’ll learn from this winter and change how we do things. This season served its purpose and we can look forward to next season with great anticipation.
New life on the farm
It’s the same with our animals. We recently processed our first steer, Beau (you can read all about it here). It was hard… but I’m still glad we did it and now we’re raising our next calf to nourish and feed our family.

A few months ago we borrowed our friend’s ram – wait until I tell you about the story of Samson and the golf ball! – so we’re expecting our burgeoning ewes to bless us with new lambs in just a few weeks. These will be the first births we’ve had on the farm and they will mark the start of a whole new season of life.
Simple tips for a busy season
Life is not just made up of new lambs and perfectly formed broccoli heads though. Do you ever feel that the mundane daily activities swamp the joys? When the clothes pile of Mount Washmore fills the laundry room and tired siblings are niggling one another, a peaceful heart can feel far from reach.
The realities of family life are not the distraction from our life, they ARE our life! I’ve found that instead of trying to escape the mess to find peace, taking time to acknowledge all the aspects of this season (even the hard) brings perspective and contentedness to what I’m experiencing in the now.

Emotionally embracing the chaos and fullness of life is one part of it. But sometimes we need a practical thing to do too.
One thing that’s a certainty on the farm is the TO DO list. It can feel never ending! Add on all the everyday commitments of family life and homeschooling multiple children and the outside work often falls to the bottom of the pile. An easy way to avoid a feeling of overwhelm is to also make a TO DONE list! That way even in the midst of busyness you can look back and see all the little and big things that you’ve already accomplished.
It can be hard to find the balance, can’t it? We are a combination of our past, our present and our future hopes. All bundled together and vying for our affections and our attention. But allowing ourselves the grace to fail and learn from our mistakes and harnessing the joy of the simple pleasures in life go a long way to enabling us to enjoy the changing seasons of life, don’t you think?