Dreamscape Jewelry Design

July 11, 2021-Life Cycles and Lessons from Nature

Last weekend, we had a Celebration of Life for my beloved step-dad Al Binder. He passed away last September, a week shy of his 101st birthday. He was a remarkable man, who lived his life with “gusto” and passed onto us the power of being positive. The day was spent with family and special friends who knew and loved him. Stories of his legacy abounded with both laughter and tears, songs were sung, and the many pictures displayed brought back memories of a life well-lived. The evening finale was fireworks, a fitting end to a rich life. He always told us that “every day he woke up and get out of bed, he was thankful for the gift of a new day.”

We scattered his ashes by his home on a lake. As we returned, around the corner of his dock came a mama duck with seven ducklings. A new life for these tiny creatures and a reminder to all of us that life goes on.

Upon returning to our camp and studio in northern Maine the following day, an exploration of one of the many secluded coves on East Grand Lake, showed us the newest neighbor who just happened to have feathers. At first, we spotted what looked like an overweight loon. Upon closer inspection, we saw that it was a fuzzy, baby loon snuggled on her back and from the size of it, a newly hatched one.

We were reminded by nature once again, that the cycles of birth and death are part of life, and a reminder to celebrate the gift of each and every day that “we can get out of bed to savor what it will bring”.

On these halcyon days of Summer, we savor the warmth of sunshine, the sight of brilliantly blooming flowers, our outdoor explorations and serenades of bird songs. These memories will warm us in the bitter cold of winter. A poignant lesson that once again, even in the darkest times of grief and sadness, there is a brightness and new beginnings in the days ahead.

We thank you for taking the time to read our blog post and have some additional quotes we found to ring true in our hearts. Please feel free to comment, post a favorite quote, or share this with someone who might find it meaningful.

Some additional quotes we found to ring true in our hearts.

I see that the greatest thing about getting older is how your judgment changes and how you come to understand the cycles of life. And you keep having these amazing flashes of understanding.

Erica Jong

“Do not be disheartened if you find yourself amidst grief because all things pass, and this will too. Rather be glad because joyful days will soon envelope you.”

― Sushil Rungta

“If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”

Percy Shelly

 “Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let your awareness rest upon it. How still they are, how deeply rooted in Being.”

Ekhart Tolle

“The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.”

– Rabindranath Tagore

“The giant pine tree grows from a tiny sprout. The journey of a thousand miles starts from beneath your feet.”

– Lao Tzu

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.”

Alphonso Karr