To Everything There Is A Season . . .

"There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven..."  (King Solomon, Ecclesiates 3:1)

This tulip is part of a colourful array of flowers blooming at the entrance of the local Retirement Village. From time to time I go and play music (on my clarinet) for the entertainment of Seniors living in retirement homes like this. It always gives me pleasure to see the joy they get from hearing the old, familiar tunes of their youth.

There was once a time I scoffed mildly when aged 14, my 32 year old school teacher - a fellow athlete at my local athletics club - challenged me to a sprint race (he was an 800m specialist.) "But you're 32 . . !",  I playfully mocked. His 32 years seemed so old against my fledgling 4 and ten. How different now! I'm an uncle to children of that age and I consider 40 youthful!! Each stage of Life brings its own reality, as well as  compensations: maybe I don't sprint down the wing as niftily as before . . . but I 'read' the game a darn sight better!!

The tulip in my blip is in its vibrant youth now and like my listeners, it too will move gracefully into another stage of life . . .but for now, it's time is here, and today that tulip bought joy to me, as hopefully my clarinet did to my seniors . . .