What season are you in?

Out enjoying the changing seasons in Sonoma, California.

What season are you in?

It's our first rainy day in California, and the season truly feels like it's starting to change.

I could not be more excited. I love Fall and all the orange, red, and yellow colors it brings to the leaves in the trees and the vineyards across the hills of wine country. [Incidentally, I did take advantage of the fact that I live in the heart of wine country this weekend, and spent the best available sunshine hours out on the terrace or in a private gazebo overlooking the Sonoma Valley, sipping everything from sparkling to rosé to Tuscan reds with a friend. Ahh, this is the life!]

I'm equally excited to welcome rainy days working from home and - maybe, just maybe - staying in my pajama bottoms and bunny slippers all day, while still remaining presentable and professional to my students on Zoom from the waist up.

The thing about the changing season is that it reminds us that life is based on seasons: warm and cold, growth and hibernation. I don't think anyone says it better than Solomon:

(I know it's long, feel free to skim 😂 mis estudiantes, you may notice some key vocabulary that has come up in our conversations recently!)

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
Todo tiene su tiempo, y todo lo que se quiere debajo del cielo tiene su hora.

A time to be born,
And a time to die;
Tiempo de nacer, y tiempo de morir;

A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
tiempo de plantar, y tiempo de arrancar lo plantado;

A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
tiempo de matar, y tiempo de curar;

A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
tiempo de destruir, y tiempo de edificar;

A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
tiempo de llorar, y tiempo de reír;

A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
tiempo de endechar, y tiempo de bailar;

A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
tiempo de esparcir pedras, y tiempo de juntar piedras;

A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
tiempo de abrazar, y tiempo de abstenerse de abrazar;

A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
tiempo de buscar, y tiempo de perder;

A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
tiempo de guardar, y tiemo de desechar;

A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
tiempo de romper, y tiempo de coser;

A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
tiempo de callar, y tiempo de hablar;

A time to love,
and a time to hate;
tiempo de amar, y tiempo de aborrecer;

A time of war,
And a time of peace.
tiempo de guerra, y tiempo de paz.

- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, NKJV
(Eclesiastés 3:1-8 versión reina-valera)

Which of those stands out most to you?

I can't help thinking that 2020 feels like it has been a big ol' "time to refrain from embracing". Does anyone else miss HUGS?!

We've been in a season, y'all. We've probably been in a whole variety of seasons between us. I've really felt like I was in a season of pause and ponder, between figuring out how the pandemic would change my business plans, to feeling called to start serving other coaching clients outside of language learners, to diving into a whole lot of education on the impact and reality of racism in our culture, politics, police, and my role in all of it.

Some seasons are harder to get through than others. We just want them to be over as soon as they've started.

I’ve been challenged this season. Sometimes I show up in a way I’m proud of to meet those challenges, sometimes I see where I fall short, and many times I have just tried to avoid showing up and let it pass over like a bad cold.

I've struggled a bit to give myself time to be in a season of listening and forming ideas rather than speaking and implementing them, which I find much more exciting.

Are you struggling to get through your current season? Are you waiting impatiently for the leaves to change, or the rain to go away?

I get it. It's okay to feel like that.

But ask yourself, what is the purpose of this season? Why have seasons at all? Why this one?

The truth is that there is a time for EVERY SEASON. There’s a purpose, a lesson, something of value as each completes its cycle and prepares us for the next one.

Give this season it's time, even if it’s not your favorite. Soon, it will be time for something else.

Your life & language coach,

P.S. - If you’re struggling in your current season, I’d love to support you. I’ll be opening up a few select spots for life coaching (apart from my regular language coaching practice) soon. If you’d like to work together or see more about what that looks like, you can book a free consult on my website to get started.

Given that we had our first rainy November day in California, I felt called to lead us in a cozy, short #SpanishStorytime this week with a story about rain. Join me for a reading of El sol y la lluvia de las Amazonas por Ximena de la Piedra in slow, clear Spanish for your listening and learning pleasure.