Sounds of September

The call of the blue jay does it for her,
My mother once told me.
That clear, insistent reminder,
Of the stillness that would soon be.

Clouds whispering to a blue sky,
Thirsty leaves rustling in the trees.
A tired butterfly drifting by,
Stealing some life from the breeze.

As the nagging geese set the mood,
The excitement of summer gives way,
To the quiet, the peace, the solitude,
Of a young mother on an August day.

She notices each sound, quiet and clear,
And allows them to briefly transport her,
To that promising, melancholy time of year,
And the sweet, sad sounds of September.

Follow the Flow

Funny how life is constantly presenting us with growth experiences. While a friend has (not so affectionately) dubbed them "fucking" growth experiences, they are, nonetheless, opportunities for self-examination and evaluation. And I think, ultimately, we are (or can be) grateful for them. A friend recently posted this link http://www.healyourlife.com/author-denise-marek/2010/07/wisdom/personal-growth/why-fight-it?cache=1 on her Facebook page, and within that post were the following questions to ask ourselves when presented with the bigger question, "What do I do now?"

Will any amount of thinking, forcing, or coaxing alter my situation?
Which thoughts and old beliefs do I need to let go of?
In which new direction would I like to head?

Amazing how, if you sit with something long enough, and allow yourself to process the emotions attached to a situation, your instincts will guide you. Subconsciously, we may have already asked ourselves these (or similar) questions. But it is definitely important to take the time to sit with the situation. And then just go with the flow. As the author says, "You can free yourself and go with the flow, too: Accept the situation for what it is, let go of negative thoughts associated with it by trusting that good will come out of every experience, and open up to a change in direction. Allow the natural current of life to take you on a marvelous new adventure."

Indeed.