Lessons from Lakeside
/Sitting on the shores of Lake George, I realize the life lessons it’s sharing. One of the best things about being here is that the view constantly changes without ever leaving our chairs. At any given time, the lake can shift from sparkling silver to a shimmering blue or deep green, and finally, sunset orange or pink. Storms roll in out of nowhere, and what was once crystal clear can’t be seen. Rain clouds unfold from behind the mountains, and an ominous gray mist slides slowly across the lake, overtaking everything in its path. Casual boaters caught off-guard race back to avoid danger. Eventually, what was once dark and gray, becomes bright and clear again. And on a few select days, a rainbow appears. Sitting in our Adirondack chairs, I recognize the same thing is happening in our lives.
Right here on the water’s edge, Mother Nature gives us perspective. We wake up each morning, assess the current situation, and then go about our business adapting to what we see before us. It seems simple here. Sunshine means being outside. Rainy days bring puzzles, trips to the market, and reading. One of the books I’m enjoying is Alicia Keys’ memoir, More Myself. In it, she shares her view of the constant change in life, “Nothing but uncertainty is certain. Circumstances come together, only to fall apart moments or months later. And then, in a flash, we must rise up and regain our footing…it’s not that the ground underneath me was suddenly shifting; it’s that it is never still.”
Here, it doesn’t occur to us to try and control our environment; we roll with it. Yet, somehow when we transition back to our working world, we spend a lot of energy trying to gain control over the current circumstances. There’s a rigidity that creeps into daily living that constricts our creativity and thinking over time. Spending time away with Mother Nature reminds us that we need to practice letting go more often.
