During playground duty I noticed our peach tree was loaded with fruit. Its branches were heavy with ripening fuzzy peaches. The birds had already discovered several and helped themselves to a sweet meal. I picked a few that were starting to soften and handed them over to one of the teachers for her class to enjoy. Unless the birds completely take over the tree, there will be plenty more for others to taste. The harvesting process is a delicate time that requires a watchful eye.
This time of year feels like a time of ripening and harvesting. Class studies of African animals and ocean life are coming to fruition through presentations, open houses, and an upcoming interactive experience. It’s when poets proudly share well-crafted lines and preschoolers review the year to share their favorite highlights. Our soon-to-be graduates have been away from school this week on their long awaited graduation trip. Final progress reports are coming together, as are end-of-year awards and gifts. It’s a time of celebration, remembering, looking ahead, and letting go. It’s a sweet time, just like the ripe peaches, tinged with a bit of sadness as we prepare to say goodbye to beloved students, parents, and teachers who have been an integral part of the past year and more, in many cases. As this year enters its “harvest” mode, it’s also a time to remember that all the change in the air will also bring new experiences that will grow us and expand our lives.
On a personal level, a ripening is happening in our family. In less than two months, our oldest granddaughter will give birth to a baby girl, who could potentially be the first third-generation Seed. As the time of this event approaches, I find myself seeking ways to clear space to receive this new being into our lives. It’s a process that was enhanced by my trip to India and has manifested in several ways since I returned. Clearing space for that which is ripening has required making some tough decisions, one being to culminate my almost ten years as a volunteer yoga teacher at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. What lies ahead seems to be asking me to draw my energy in closer, to my family and to the Seed. I believe the coming days will require the best of what I have to offer. I want to be fully present to whatever arises and respond with wisdom and grace. The late Irish poet, John O’Donohue, wrote: “Each of us is an artist of our days; the greater our integrity and awareness, the more original and creative our time will become.” I look forward with great enthusiasm to the sweet unfoldment of this creative time before us.