New Beginnings

In most ancient civilizations, spring is the season of new birth.  New lambs are born, trees begin to bud and put on leaves and flowers begin to bloom again.  Signs of new life are all around.  For me though, fall is the season of new birth, and always will be.

I credit it to 3 things- school, the new TV season and a new Cowboys season.  Every year of school brought opportunities to make new friends, start over, and put the past of the previous school year behind you.  And with the TV season, old "friends" returned in the form of favorite shows while new shows brought new opportunities for new "friends".  I know the last part about TV seems a little odd, but as an only child, TV and reading were the main pastimes available to me while growing up.

Every sports fan knows that we live for the next season.  Regardless of whether we ended the previous season on top or at the bottom of the league, a new sports season is a new beginning too.  The opportunity to rise above our pasts or to push ourselves even further after having achieved greatness.

So now my season of new beginnings has come.  It's been a year of much change and I've learned a great deal about myself, life and others in the last year.  I've left some things, and some people, behind in the last year.  None of these were easy decisions, and while none of us like to cause pain or cut another person out,  we have to make these decisions to move ourselves forward.

On my birthday last week, the essay in the Magnificat for that day was titled "A Year of Favor".  What a wonderful time of year for that message.  I like the idea that fall, as a new beginning, is the perfect time of year to begin "A Year of Favor".

In closing, I wish the same for all of you as well this fall.  May the upcoming months bring a rebirth in your lives as well and a time for new opportunities, new friends and new joy.