I realised a long time ago that life is a series of different seasons. When you are in the middle of a season it can appear to last forever, but the only constant in this world is change. The older I get the more my perspective grows, the more I see just how those seemingly endless summer days turn into autumn.
When I was in school I found it hard to imagine a world without study and homework. But that changed when I entered the workforce, quickly replaced by a 9-5 grind that seemed to be a new eternal norm. Five years later I left the predictable and started out on my own, freelancing as a motion designer. Life and routine changed dramatically once again.
Change has a purpose
Change really isn’t a bad thing. There have been seasons that I have wanted to skip entirely, like exams and my teenage blues. There have been seasons I wanted to last forever, like when I fell in love and my honeymoon. But altogether, the good and the bad seasons have shaped and moulded me into who I am today. They all served their purpose.
Ecclesiastes chapter 3 verses 1-2, ‘To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted.’
Right now I’ve just entered a new season all over again. Several days ago a newborn baby girl was cradled in my arms for the first time. Baby Alyssa entered my world and turned it in a whole new direction.
I’ve been enjoying the season I was in, working from home, keeping active with water sports and basketball, playing bass guitar along with my favourite tunes. It was a good, relaxing season - but I am so excited for this new one.
Embracing the new
Parenthood has always seemed so incredibly adult, and honestly right until the time I held my baby girl in my arms, I didn’t feel anywhere near ready for it. How on earth was I going to be ready for this responsibility?
But at 3am walking down the hospital corridor soothing my baby while my wife caught up on some much needed rest, my heart flooded with love for this new precious bundle placed in my care, and I knew that I would do anything for this little one.
Is anyone ever truly ready for anything? But when the moment comes to act you get up and do what it takes to get things across the line.
I’m a nostalgic fellow, and I love looking back on the different special moments of the seasons I’ve been through. I can tell you now, that 3am walk is going straight to the highlight reel.
Her skin was soft, flush from meeting the fresh air for the very first time. Her wrinkly little fingers clasped around my thumb with a strength that surprised me. Her mouth was contorting into little different shapes, small intelligible sounds squeaking out.
Parenting brings a whole new set of rules and challenges that I haven’t even begun to comprehend, but I’ll be taking it one step at a time. No doubt this new season will be filled with ups and downs, with astounding highlights and long, sleepless nights.
It’s a new season - it won’t last forever, but it will forever be with me.
Thomas Devenish lives in Hobart, Tasmania. He works as a motion designer and enjoys the diverse experiences life has to offer, from wake-boarding to curling up with a good book on a rainy day. More recently, cuddles with His new baby girl have become the favourite thing to do.
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