Yesterday it was a warm 72 degrees for most of the afternoon, so in between meetings I took my bike out for a ride around the neighborhood. I miss those days. During the cold winter months I usually struggle for my daily outside fix of a good bike ride. But as the weather turns warmer (earlier and earlier than usual), at least one benefit is that I get to back to my riding. While I was out I saw the early signs of spring, and during one of my breaks I paused to snap a photo of one of the trees. I could already see the bright red buds dangling on the edges of the still mostly bare winter trees. That’s the thing about seasonal change, you sense it before you it arrives. Here we are in the dead of winter still, and yet, spring is around the corner and we know it because we can see the signs. It’s got me thinking about how to actively embrace the season’s change, even if I may want to hold onto the comforts of winter.

A few weeks ago my daughter and I attended an open house for high school. It’s the same self-directed school that she currently attends, but we wanted to get a better idea of what things will change for her as she makes the full transition into the high school. To be honest, both of us were a bit anxious about the experience. While I’m excited to see her continue to grow and blossom into the brilliant young woman that I believe her to be, I’m also mourning the loss of daddy’s little girl. While I was intrigued myself as a learner to see how much autonomy and flexibility would be afforded her, I worried as a father about whether she was ready and I wondered what she was thinking about all of this.

My daughter on the other hand was in a typical teenager mood. She clearly didn’t really want to be there (because of course they have no poker face). She barely spoke or participated in the discussions or activities. If I didn’t know any better (and I do), I would think she hated it. Fortunately, I know my daughter well enough to understand that what she needed was some time and space to process. Later that evening on the ride home we talked about our experience and she shared this nugget. She and her middle school friends had just recently talked about how fast life seemed to be moving. They weren’t sure if they were ready themselves! I wasn’t quite expecting that (add that to my growing list of times I’ve been surprised in a good way as a parent). So for her, it was a bit jarring to have to make decisions about something that she’s not quite sure she’s ready for. I can understand the feeling.

We laughed (and cried a bit) when we realized that we’d each been feeling something similar. I’ll never forget the moment when I looked at her and said, Sometimes I feel like time is moving too fast as well. But I can’t stop time from moving forward, it’s happening whether we like it or not. So how about we just face it together. That seemed to comfort both of us, the idea that while neither one of us can slow down seasons from changing, we can at least face it together. She seemed to be particularly amused at the fact that we’re both also facing this kind of change for the first time so I’m figuring things out just like she is.

Seasons are changing for sure, both literally and figuratively. But that’s the nature of life. At least we have each other to weather them and enjoy what comes next.

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