One the greatest gifts of my photography has been a deeper appreciation for the four seasons, and more especially, the delicate transitions between each season. I like to refer to this time and space as the in-between season, and I have found that this phenomenon applies not just in reference to nature, but also to the season of my life as well.
I recently stumbled upon a term for the in-between season – liminal space. Stemming from the Latin root ‘limen’ which means ‘threshold’, liminal space beautifully describes this time as a place of crossing over. A time of transition. It holds space for those of us who have left something behind, but yet have not yet arrived at the next thing.
This post from June 2016 resonates so deeply with me today as, once again, I find myself in that in-between place. But I take courage and hope from the fact that I have been here many times before only to arrive at something greater than I could have ever imagined.
Hello sunshine.
It felt like the whole month of may was nothing but clouds and rain every day. Which did wonders for the hydrangeas in the neighborhood….my attitude, not so much.
But once the calendar flipped to June, everything changed. It has been so beautiful this week. Warm during the day (hot even!), but the mornings and the evenings have been delightful. And I’ve taken every advantage to spend as much time outside as possible.
Technically speaking, Summer is still a week or so away. In another month, the heat and humidity will become stifling and almost unbearable. And for all of the complaining I do in spring, by the end of July I’d give anything for a brisk north wind.
We are sort of in between seasons. It’s not quite summer, but definitely past what i consider to be spring. And I am loving every minute of it.
I was thinking about this on my way to work one morning this week. How much I love all the in-between seasons – late winter/early spring, late summer/early fall. How much I love these tender transitions…where it’s not quite time for the thing that’s coming, but yet it is past the thing that was.
I am trying to do better about appreciating the in-between seasons in my own life. To appreciate the delicate the beauty of the right now rather than pushing for the next thing or mourning the thing that was. Kelsey leaving for college was one of those times for me. And now I sort of feel like I am back in familiar territory.
Nature is the best teacher, so I’m going to take a cue from the seasons. I also want to remember the grace that inhabits these middle places and give things time and space to come together. Because they will…I have faith.
Love this! I’ve been thinking a lot about being comfortable in the middle space lately. I have a daughter who started college this year and one more leaving in another year. Really enjoying your essay series!
Thank you so much Jeanne!