The steady move into summer, like a river

The Ottauquechee River, as seen from River Road in Woodstock, Vt. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

In this year of progress, the seasons have come and gone at a rapid pace. But come and go they must — on Sunday, the first day of summer arrives. Life marches on, sustained by that profound, natural momentum we all can feel.

The transition from spring to summer is, indeed, the least pronounced of the seasonal changes. Though beautiful and always much-anticipated, the differences between fall, winter and spring are decidedly more stark.

But when it comes to human activity, like traveling and traffic, you see the change more clearly, especially with summer holidays coming up and people heading for outdoor adventures. While running some errands on Friday, I went down River Road by the Ottauquechee River in Woodstock, and saw a number of people walking and biking. The most noticeable change, though, was seeing a couple of groups enjoy the rope swing into the river. That's an activity I shared with family on a regular basis, while growing up in the area. That one observation showed me that, those favorite pastimes with friends and family don't disappear, they come back — just like the blooming flowers and vegetation we've seen all around us in recent weeks and months. That's part of that momentum, like a steady river current urging us toward progress, as the warm season advances and the post-pandemic era approaches.

Indeed, all these changes track with natural progress, a collective opportunity that can't be taken away from us. Sometimes, it seems hidden for a while, like the sun behind a group of foreboding clouds. But progress, goodness, love, compassion — they still abide there, cultivated in their abundance, and quietly doing their work as we press onward. Over time, these qualities gently urge us to learn from each other and grow as a result, sometimes against great headwinds.

At those times of struggle, when the path is steeper, it's most important to claim our innate goodness and trust it to guide us forward, knowing others will recognize it and correspond to it. As seasons grow and change, and new challenges come about, sharing the good we have is the path toward continued progress. It shows us, and teaches us, that light is always there.

— Gareth Henderson