“If a man loses his reverence for any part of life, he will lose his reverence for all of life.”

– Albert Schweitzer

Somewhere, last night, a switch was flipped and November suddenly sprang to life.  The suddenness of its arrival is no surprise, since all the changes in 2010 have seemed to land with a thud — loudly, colorfully, extremely, and demanding our attention.  First there were the 90-degree days in May.  Then there were the scorching, dry days of summer.  Fall arrived right on time, but its progression has been so quick that if we blinked several times the color would disappear and leave us staring at bare trees.  Last night, when the switch was flipped, we stopped wondering whether there would soon be frost.  Temperatures will drop into the twenties again tonight; and suddenly my thoughts turn toward winter.

I hover in a spot that is neither Fall nor Winter, and the flip of the switch sets my mind to review mode.  Like a backup of data on my computer, I recall the snows of January, the summery days of Spring, the drenching rains, the parched dry summer, and the flight of Fall.  I realize as they come to mind that what I recall most clearly are the events of the year that caused me to complain.  ”It shouldn’t be this hot when the kids are still in school.”  ”If the rain doesn’t stop soon, how will we ever plant our garden?”  ”I’m so tired of carrying water to keep the plants alive!”  ”Where have the colors gone?  Fall was too short this year.”

I suppose it is only human to become irritable and confused when things seem to take place out of order — out of our control.  We must never fall into the trap of wishing away any part of life.  When I recall the anomalies that have comprised 2010, I also remember wishing the rain to stop — but water is such a blessing.  I remember wishing away the heat — but the garden was magnificent, and the tomatoes were as sweet as could be.  I find myself lamenting the quick passing of Fall — but the days when the leaves all turned in a flash are some of the most beautiful I ever have seen.  When I look at the whole of the year so far, my complaints are lost in the way that it all has come together to make a very fine year.  In the moment of confusion, we wish away the things we cannot control.  In reflection, we see how blessed we have been for each minute of living the year has offered.

Perhaps the gift of the flip of the switch from colorful Fall to wintertime cold is in the lingering between seasons and having a chance to review and appreciate and discover our reverence for all of life — no matter how surprising and no matter how different from what we had planned and what we had expected.  In this time in between, let us sit with that reverence and see, once again, the blessing of life.