By iamsandykay on March 22, 2022

A Prayer for a New Season

I’ve worked in a variety of industries in my grown-up life. One (of the many things) I learned over the years is that fiscal years can be whatever you want. This organization began their tax year on September 1; that one on July 1; this other follows the calendar year. As long as you tell the government up front/in advance, you’re good to choose your preference. Yes, you still pay taxes and declare everything after a year, but your deadline just shifts.

*I am not a CPA or accountant or in anyway able to explain, these are just things I’ve learned. Please pay your taxes on time.

I bring this up, because I decided five-ish years ago that January 1^st just doesn’t work for me. I get the turning of the calendar glee, but that lone date is on the heels of several family birthdays, a handful of major holidays, a super-fun-filled end of school semester (sarcasm font), and always a busy time at work. I am fully limping across the finish line and just trying to survive and hold ~~everything~~ anything together by December 31^st. Enter the “fiscal year.” One year, I just couldn’t get my stuff together to have the January calendar ready and updated, so I thought – “okay, we let it go this month…” And then there’s February. The shortest month on the calendar, but historically, regularly, and traditionally the worst month of the year. I’m not a fan. It may be the shortest, but it feels the longest ever. “Hmm… there’s another month…”

Enter March. I’ve recovered from the holidays. Felt the winter blues. Got a grasp on all the projects – work and home. Here we go – let’s do this! March is Spring (in the Northern Hemisphere; Southern Hemisphere is entering Fall – my actual favorite season, so this still works). March is longer days, warmer temps, less rain (fingers crossed). March is newness and possibilities.

The interesting thing about seasons is that they are not always the same date every year. Based on the positioning of the sun and the moon and the tides and the three-eyed raven*, the “start” of each of our seasons is in flux. Depending on where you live, what you are going through, what you’ve passed, your season may start at another time. Living in Houston, summer doesn’t wait until June to arrive. Living in the Midwest, we often had snow on Halloween – winter was too eager. The changing of your season may happen any time. You can even decide to change it.

Prayer for a New Season

May we each accept and experience the season that we have been in.
Let us look to the changes coming and anticipate with joy the things that can be.

May we reflect and retain what we have accomplished and done and endured and survived.
Let us take to heart how far we have come and not dwell on what was not to be.

May we look around and see everyone in their own season.
Let us hold them up as they need us, support them as we can, accept their aid when possible.

May we all join together and know that everything changes, and will continue to change.
Let us work together to lean into those changes and use them to our benefit and progress.

May we take a deep breath, close our eyes, and envision a new season of possibilities and
let us open our eyes and see what can be in the world we are in.

Here’s to a new season beginning soon.

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