seed and soil.

somehow or another, it's already/almost/soon-to-be autumn.

what is going on? why is the process of growing older basically a downward spiral of time slipping through your fingers like sand. why does life walk at a steady pace when you're a child but then as you age, it takes off running?

anyhow. autumn. fall. makes me think of thanksgiving. i love thanksgiving. absolutely my favorite time of year. the fact that suddenly our house is filled to the brim with family. so much laughter. enough hugs to last me until the next thanksgiving. the transition into december & christmastime.

every thanksgiving is something new. the idea of it and the traditions are always the same. we basically do the same exact thing every year. but each one of us has changed or grown in one way or another, so the vibe is different. but our chemistry as a family always works. we realize that we are all unique and we embrace that about one another. it makes us who we are.

i love my family. have you ever been in a room filled with twenty to twenty five people who all make you want to be a better person? it's an incredible feeling. "these people inspire me." you think to yourself. sometimes it's overwhelming. i live for the relationships God has formed in my life. i function best when i feel connected- deeply- with people. especially my family.

nothing will keep you motivated like reflecting on where you've come from. be it good or bad, you've grown out of something. you once were a seed. maybe your soil was beautiful. maybe everything came naturally for you, and you were blessed. or maybe your soil was a little more difficult. maybe growth has been a painful process for you.

i once was a seed. i think my soil was a mixture of good and bad things. for someone still pretty young, i've experienced a lot. loss, pain, fear, rejection... (as we all have, to some extent) but my family was mixed into my soil. my family and a VERY few close friends who have remained in my life, created a soil that God knew i could grow in. it hasn't been easy. and, like anything, i'll be growing a little every day until the day i die.

not everyone is as lucky as me to have the family i have. some people have had much more difficult soil to take root in. life isn't always simple, coated in sugar, with butterflies and fairies. but you can still draw energy from your soil.. things to keep you going. look how far you've come. look how much you've changed, for the better. look at all the things you've accomplished.

thanksgiving is coming, and i'm just thinking... no matter what you and i have been through, we have things to be thankful for this year. as time flies by. we each have our soil. we have what God's given us. we have what we need. we keep pushing up towards the sunshine. we keep growing.