This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @rowanuwellness on social. This story is by Suzie Tse, a graduate student in the MA Higher Education: Academic Advising.
Here at Rowan, we experience a temperate climate. We witness seasonal changes from the colorful autumn leaves and the bare winter branches to the blossoming of spring flowers and the rich greenery of summer. Every year, we revisit the seasons, but always a little different from the us we were last year or even the next.
Poets, writers, and people alike enjoy using seasons to describe the different stages of life. Spring represents new beginnings and youth. Summer represents passion, growth, and young adulthood. Autumn represents change, reflection, and maturity. Winter represents waiting, struggles, and an ending. Seasons can also be applied to certain areas of your life as well. One person may be going through the autumn of their relationship while going through the summer of their career. Meanwhile, someone else may be going through the springtime of their relationship while going through the winter of their career. Every person is different.
We should not judge ourselves or others based on the current season in our lives. Each season serves a purpose and will change with time. When seasons revisit us, it’s never the same. We are shaped by our learning and experiences so the same scenery will be different because of our changing perspectives and viewpoints, regardless of how big or small the change is. Imagine walking in a circle. With each step you take, you are gradually getting further away from the center of where you started. So, even if you find yourself in the same situation as before or you’re experiencing a setback to something, know that when you look at it from a different perspective, it might not be as bad as you think.
Therefore, we should understand that for many things in life, change is continuous and a natural part of the process. Everyone is at a different stage in life with different seasons in various areas of their life. While we do not have to accept these changes, by learning to expect them, we can make transitions in life slightly easier for ourselves and others.
Sources:
https://www.seasonsofchange.com/seasons-of-change
https://www.stevenfulmer.com/its-the-spiral-of-life/
Story by:
Suzie Tse, Higher education graduate student
Photography by:
Sai Sudanagunta, cybersecurity graduate student
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