Beginning of the Seasons
This story came to me while I was sitting on my front porch rocking in my rocking chair, drinking bourbon and coke and listening to a group called Blackmore’s Night.
We think of winter as the time of old age and death. Yet if we listen carefully we can hear the embryo of life inside Earth’s womb struggling to burst free, which it shall do at the appointed time.
I am now in my winter years, but of course, it wasn’t always so. Many years ago I was a young, cocky buck who traveled the world gathering experiences and having adventures.
One such adventure has recently kept reoccurring in my mind. Many years ago I was backpacking in the Grand Tetons. I got tired and decided to take a nap under an old Aspen tree. When I awoke everything had changed and I knew I was in a different world.
I got up and started to walk down the road that used to be the trail and came upon some queer looking folk.
I asked them, “Where am I?” and they said, “You are in the Land of Beginnings and you should not be here.”
So they took me to their Queen and she said, “It is not your fault, but, alas, we must send you back!”
Well, in that very short time I had learned to love the land and said, “Dear, Beautiful Queen, this land is so beautiful and full of life; I do not want to leave.”
She said, “Most Beginnings are beautiful and full of life, but you cannot stay for you are not of this world.”
So I asked her, “Before I go back, would you give me something to take with me, something of beauty and wisdom from this land of Beginnings?”
She smiled and said, “I will tell you about the Beginning of the Seasons, for in time, it will be your story.”
I sat down crossing my legs in contentment knowing I was being given a special gift from this Special Queen.
“In the beginning, there was only one season and his name was Winter. He was hard and cold with a heart made of ice. He kept the land asleep and at peace.
“One day while moving about in his domain he came upon a beautiful young lass who was in the process of waking up.
“‘Who are you, precious child?’ he asked in a stern, foreboding voice.”
“‘I am Spring,’” she responded with laughter in her eyes. Sweet, brave Spring intrigued old, harsh Winter, so he sat down with her and they talked.
“Spring fell in love with Winter’s knowledge and wisdom and whispered to him ‘teach me.’ Winter fell in love with Spring’s beauty and kindness and said, ‘I will teach you all I know.’”
“As she became wiser and more knowledgeable they both realized that it would soon be her time to rule the land. What Spring did not know, but Winter did, was that for her to be what she was destined to be, Winter would have to leave.
“One day he said to her, ‘It is your time, and I must go.’ She said ‘Please don’t, I want you to stay.’ Then, full of kindness and love she reached out and touched his heart, whereupon it melted and flooded the land. Because of this, with every spring come the floods.
“Winter gave her a wise, sad smile, then called out to the Heavens and was whisked home by a great wind. Because of this, with every spring come the March winds.
“Then Spring was heartbroken and cried great tears. Because of this, with each spring come April showers.
“Spring took the gifts of Winter and brought the land to life. Laughter, Love and Joy were all about. The world was in balance with Spring giving peacefulness and respect to all living things.
“From Winter’s and Spring’s love a child was born, and Spring called her Summer. One day Spring knew her time was coming to an end, so she turned over the ruling of the land to Summer. Spring then faded peacefully into the land.
“Summer took over ruling the land, doing it wisely and well. Eventually Summer started to change, turning into Autumn.
“As Autumn got older she became overwhelmed with the bounty of the land and realized she could not control it. The land was also getting tired of producing and told Autumn it wanted to go to sleep and rest.
“Autumn knew it was beyond her power to give the land its wish, so in desperation she called to her father to come back down from the Heavens. ‘Dear Father, please come back and tame this untamable land.’”
“Then out of the Heavens, Winter returned and the land was subdued, all things going into a peaceful sleep.
“He was hard and cold with a heart made of ice. But in his being there was a secret joy because he knew in time he would again be with Spring, even if for too short a time. She did awaken and they again had their time together….
“And that, young man, was the beginning of the cycle of the Seasons, continuing to this day.”
As the story ended the Queen reached over, touching me, and I fell asleep. When I awoke I was under the Aspen in the Grand Tetons.
I knew I must have been dreaming, but it seemed so real I believed it was true. What I certainly knew was true was that the story was a gift from the Queen and in it was great wisdom.
Over the years I have thought much about this dream. Being that it was about the Beginning of the Seasons, it made perfect sense, except for one thing. The Queen said “It will be your story.” What did that mean? What do the seasons have to do with me?
Well, this happened many years ago when I was young and in my prime. I am now old and in my winter years. Is it possible I will meet a “Spring” and she will melt my heart of ice? Time will tell….
enough