Over the past few articles, we’ve explored transition through the picture of a garden—sowing seeds, cultivating the soil, growing beneath the surface, pruning, and harvesting. Holding all of these together is one simple truth: There are seasons. And so do we. There is a time for planting, waiting, growing, pruning, harvesting, and beginning again. We wouldn't walk into a garden in winter and wonder why there isn't a harvest. We understand that winter has a different purpose. Yet we can be hard on ourselves when we're in a season of waiting, rest, loss, or beginning again. What if instead we asked: What does this season need from me? Maybe it needs patience. Maybe courage. Maybe rest. Maybe grief. Maybe exploration or action. Sometimes we want growth when we're being invited to rest. We want answers when we need to sit with the questions. We want to harvest when the seeds have barely been planted. Transition becomes exhausting when we constantly fight against the seaso...
Harvest is the evidence that something has been growing all along. A harvest is the result of a process. A harvest is the result of planting, tending, waiting, and sometimes weathering unexpected challenges. In transition, we can become so focused on what is next that we forget to notice what has already grown. Maybe you have gained clarity. Maybe you’ve learned to set healthier boundaries. Maybe you’ve discovered strength you didn't know you had. Maybe you’ve learned to trust, rest, grieve, or begin again. These are harvests, too. When we're in transition, it's easy to focus on what we haven't figured out yet. Instead, pause and ask: What has this season grown in me? What have I learned? What has changed? What wisdom am I carrying forward? What can I celebrate? Not every harvest looks the way we expected. Sometimes the outcome is different from what we imagined, but we discover that we have become different along the way. Don't Rush Past the Harvest Before asking...