Introspection: Celebrating life's ever-changing seasons

Life is not constant. Time is not static. Everything changes and most of them change in a cyclical order, in a rotational manner. Take example of seasons. Every year, depending on which part of the globe you live in, you experience different seasons. Winter, Spring, Summer, Monsoon, Autumn, etc. In some areas, we experience six seasons while in others it's only two. But there is a constant change happening in the nature around us. We can say that nature is the best reflection of change. While acceptance of change is vital for us to live in harmony with nature, it comes only by observance. Observing the transformations occurring around us and appreciating them is a method through which we develop our ability to accept them. In Japan, there is a concept called Hanami which means flower viewing. Hanami is a traditional practice of enjoying the beauty of flowers, especially cherry blossoms, during spring. The practice of Hanami represents the appreciation of nature's fleeting beauty and the joy of seasonal celebrations.Japan is famous for its cherry blossom which occurs for a short time every year and presents stunningly beautiful views around for which tourists from all over the world visit Japan. This seasonal practice has embedded a high appreciation of cyclical change and beauty of the nature in Japanese culture. While in India also we have a number of festivals celebrated in synchronisation with nature, we need to remind ourselves of the benefit of accepting changes. Sankranti celebrates the transit of the sun towards the north, and Holi celebrates the arrival of spring and the end of winter. While celebrating these festivals in India, our focus has shifted towards traditions and festivities attached to them, but like Hanami, we need to develop a habit of observing nature and the transition happening around us to appreciate the cycle of life. This underlying philosophical message coming from nature is very significant for our life lessons of change management and adaptation. Even if we are not in Japan, we can imbibe the practice of Hanami, observing the changes in nature as per suitability in our geographical area. And through this, we can remind ourselves how transitory the world is, and how important change is in our lives and universe. Hanami would remind us to observe these changes and appreciate them.