Suddenly Summer: Dealing with climate change

/

A seed hidden in the heart of an apple is an orchard invisible. – Welsh Proverb

I don’t deal with climate change well.IMG_8119

It’s one thing if it’s my idea. I mean, if I’m going on a trip to southern Florida in late winter,  or to Mexico in August, like we did last summer for our son’s wedding. I’m preparing ahead for warm weather. I’m taking the things I need to enhance my comfort level in a hot, sunny, humid climate. And even then, I’m not always able to deal with it as I’d like.

But, sudden climate change up here in Michigan– when the weather changes from winter to summer in a day – simply upsets my apple cart. I get totally confused. I want the change of seasons to be normal, gradual…without the extreme temperature shifts.

Thinking about climate change on Earth Day – as I’m reminded of my decades-long affinity for the idea of climate change since the first Earth Day in 1970 – I’m thinking not only of global climate change, but what transpires in my personal sphere.

A recent jet stream bubble of shirtsleeve weather captured us with days of sudden unexpectedly hot, fair weather. It tempts you to put the plants out, when you know it’s too early. Clear night skies tantalize. Spring peepers are heard in the woodlands. The moonlit nights mesmerize with mid-summer night dreams. But my mind says it’s too early.

My mind conjures up images of cyclones from cold fronts zooming through, which is typical for Midwest weather in springtime. Suddenly summer never computes with me. I’m always off balance, kind of like the twice-a-year sudden time change when you lose or gain an hour, and you’re off kilter for a week.

Earth Day always makes me think about my intentions for being in balance, about my intentions for living in season. It’s hard, though, when some unexpected event disrupts your atmosphere. Sometimes a cyclone hits. Sometimes your perfectly good intentions of being in balance throw you off the teeter-totter and you land with a painful thud.

Sometimes, like I’m experiencing right now, you must deal with a climate change in your inner environment. I’m discovering, via recent checkups, that my good intentions about my personal health need a little more effort– indeed, a lot more effort, discipline and focus. Now, I wonder, can I pass muster? Can I truly practice what I preach about living happier, healthier, longer and better?

My husband plants apple trees each spring, always hoping for a harvest someday. What am I planting in my sphere? Can I plant my apple seeds and hope for an orchard? Can I be the diligent gardener I’ve always wanted to be? Can I create that healthy balance in my own sphere? Can I make my orchard visible?

Every blade of grass has its angel that whispers, ‘grow, grow.’ – The Talmud

I’ve always thought we should live as if Earth Day were every day. But I hadn’t thought of it as dealing with the stuff of my personal, inner sphere. It always seemed outward somehow, caring for the planet, urging others to care about the enviroment.

I’ve planted lots of apple seeds, you might say, in my lifetime. But I haven’t thought of growing my own orchard – just to grow my own orchard, just for me. Maybe it’s time.

I don’t like change. I don’t like it when my personal climate changes. I don’t like disruption. I don’t like being out of my comfort zone. But it’s time to change.

It’s time, I finally admit, to be the apple seed, the blade of grass…time to listen to the whispers around me. The advice given: Deal with it. Buckle down, be true to yourself, grow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DON’T MISS A BEAT

Sign up for our weekly newsletter

We don’t spam!

Sharing is caring!

Susan G Parcheta dreamed of being an inspirational writer, even as heading off after college to a teaching job. While teaching was not her passion, words were -- writing many years for Livingston newspapers, especially in the areas of education, health and wellness. The dream continues: to inspire creative, healthy living and to explore new concepts of body, mind, spirit. Her signature theme “All Things Beautiful” invites you to embrace the beauty and imagine the possibilities that life has to offer.

3 Comments

  1. Mike your last name is spelled wrong it should be “Moron”

    • Even mildly intelligent Republicans acknowledge that the climate is changing (eg Donald Trump). Me? If 99% of doctors told me I was sick, I’d believe them. You apparently have figured out doctors get paid for their diagnosis of disease and so they’re biased. Good luck with that.

Comments are closed.