“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, 1925

As the sun stands still, the summer solstice upon Earth, we are reminded of warmth and of life, change and duty.

Summer is a time for motion, a movement within all things. But changes aren’t only witnessed within the warmth of this season. As full blooms grace the fields of life, we also grace our own.

Often change is associated with Spring and Fall, of the renewal and of the harvest. But the summertime brings forth many subtle changes that readily go unnoticed. These changes or motions can be felt within, and can be easily seen by observing our natural environment.

It is this time where we are reminded of motion, and of non-motion.

This can be seen by observing the motions of our lives, of our relationships and within our own personal spheres of emotion. The solstice calls us to make time to observe them now, while motion is fluid, while time is unnoticed.

Because time waits for no one.

But what is time? An unfathomable concept that is measured only by the process of aging. And within this measurable concept we are driven to ignore the subtle changes that are integral parts of the continuous moment of now.

And this is where our changes must be witnessed.

We grow old, but this is only noticed along small points throughout our journey, when we pluck the first grey, or catch a glimpse of our deepening crow’s feet. We watch others age, and these people come and go, in and out of our lives. Some stay for many years, and some merely pass by to say hello for all but a season. Our children grow, learn and change right before our eyes, with many of these changes we stand unready for.

But these all must be embraced. They must be noted within our hearts as milestones of experience, as lighthouses heralding the shores that will take us onward along life’s next great journey.

These moments are the dog-eared page markers in the story we write every day.

And they are a part of our time here.

I once heard it mentioned that time is but an illusion with a greater purpose, one that lives beyond human comprehension. But indeed, time marches on just as the wind blows continuous, forever changing and without pause.

So it is up to us to pause here and now, to welcome the changes that we see in our lives. Some we will not want, while others we might quickly embrace. Nonetheless, to go against the current of change is to stand idle and refuse growth.

And we should all take heed of this.

If we cling to what is our comfort, we will never know any struggle outside of ourselves. And though our comfort zones may be our hidden sanctuaries, we all must step into the field of life and embrace the world in its full bloom, no matter if the bloom is sweet or sour.

We must stand under the solstice sun and welcome the motion that moves our lives forward. This motion, this cosmic inertia, grants us many gifts, many lessons and many days of warmth, and it is to remind us that one day, perhaps tomorrow or many years from now, this motion will finally slow its pace.

And as we witness the pace slow, we too will slow down. We will have grown old, and before our very eyes this continuous moment of now will have caught up to us all.

And then, it will be time for the next journey.

We will set adrift toward the great mystery, abandoning what was once comforting and embark on a new path. And this will happen for us all, perhaps tomorrow, or in many years to come.

Embrace the change you see in your life, now.

It is only here to offer us wisdom.

So… Love deeply, and remind yourself often that this is all that matters. Offer your children the warmth of life, and make your relationship with the world and with others the best that you can.

For the sun will again stand still one day for us all.

But in the meantime, don’t forget…

Enjoy the summer.