A Time for Everything

White plum blossoms

return to the withered trees ---

moonlit night

Buson

The progression of seasons in nature are necessary illustrations of relationships. What I mean is, is that the concrete changes show cause and effect. People also change and we frequently use the phrases like "during this season of my life." Ecclesiastes 3 (Old Testament of Judaic Christian Bible) expresses that there is a time for everything. So, there is a time for the tree to wither so that there can be a time for blossoms to return. A rhythm exists. An understanding of cause and effect is expressed. Human relationships are like this. Human relationships are challenged to be like this plum tree --- to find energy to produce goodness after difficult events and changes in the environment. This goodness, though, may be difficult to see.