Change & Family Are All We Can Count On
There’s only a couple things you can always count on, and one is CHANGE. Not much ever remains the same no matter how much we think it does. If something bad is going on in your life, just wait, things will change for the better. If things are going great, don’t get too comfortable because something challenging is just around the corner. The seasons for instance. We can always count on them changing like they are right now in St. Louis. Summer into Fall. Just this Spring I was cleaning out our west-facing flower bed when I spotted a very small and brilliantly green Praying Mantis on the side of the house. I didn’t see him again until just a few weeks ago only now he was much larger and a deep brown color. He stood motionless waiting for some unsuspecting aphid to wander by. As I grew closer for a better look, his head turned robotically toward me while the rest of his body remained perfectly still. I wanted to tell him how much he had changed and how prehistoric he looked. I knew he was in the twilight of his life. A few days later I saw him again just below the birdhouse. Motionless and waiting to sup. I kept looking for him for days after that but I think his time had come. Like the seasons, time moved him along. From green to brown to dust. Also taking refuge in our yard we have become home to a rather frisky brown toad. He seems to have taken over an abandoned ground squirrel burrow. I first saw Mr. Toad as he hopped by my pumpkin patch. Yes, after months of wildly growing vines that encroached on my neighbor’s daylily bed, I was able to harvest one single medium size pumpkin. I am proudly displaying it on my front porch along with my Halloween decorations. Like a proud papa this perfect pumpkin gives me great pleasure as I always feel so fulfilled when I grow something on my suburban farmstead. The Goldfinches have snatched their last dried Coneflower seeds. Like the summer, they have moved on, too. The winds of Autumn are blowing in and the milkweed plumes have taken to the air. Change is here again.
Change is also what we can count on in politics. With a growing number of people calling themselves independents, we are seeing more and more swing voting. Like the ocean’s tides, politics ebbs and flows. Change comes sooner than later as independents become disenfranchised at the drop of a hat. I fear we must expect too much too soon. And if this feeling doesn’t change I know we are only setting ourselves up for continued disappointment. We need to give those elected the opportunity to serve their term. Have you heard of the term “half-baked”? That’s what you get when you call for change before the cake is out of the oven. Want a different recipe? Fine, but give those elected a fair chance to serve their meal so we can see if it suits our appetites.
With the holidays approaching, another thing we can count on is family. Holiday traditions, family gatherings. These are the deepest and warmest of feelings and memories. Family is the foundation of life. When times get tough, family is there. When times are good, family is there. One thing that never changes is the importance and love of family.
Give Thanks, J.B. Lester; Publisher