Nothing Gold Can Stay - Musings on Change

The following is one of my favorite Robert Frost poems and, actually, one of my all time favorites.


"Nothing Gold Can Stay"

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leafs a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

I was thinking of this yesterday as Sammy and I were driving the 53 into town to run some errands. Looking up on the hills near Monticello, I could see the yellowish green sign of the trees getting their leaves. The forsythia is out, and the trees here that blossom purple first are all purple. I can't remember what they are called. It occurred to me that it will really only be days until this has all changed much more. I love Spring. I love the sunshine AND the rain. I love that it is both warm and cool. I really like to go out and see everything coming to life and enjoying the warm before it becomes hot. I also look at Spring as the shortest of the seasons both literally and figuratively.

Spring is literally short, because it doesn't take that long for the trees to be in full leaves and the grass to go green and for the sun to get well warm enough for the kids to be in shorts and sandals. If it gets above 70 degrees, my crazy children think about going swimming. I find it figuratively short, I think, because of the life I live. In 1993, 1994, and 1996-1998, I worked at scout camp during this summer. This generally meant moving in late spring and then moving back in somewhere in the late summer, which let's face it, is more like early fall with the start of school. In 1999, Trent moved up to Spokane to start law school. I stayed in Utah until late that year to finish the first semester of my student teaching program. In college, law school for Trent, and now for my kids, school starts back up in August, which feels like the end of summer even if the weather disagrees. Furthermore, Coast Guard life generally brings with it moving duty stations in the early summer. Once again, summer is when things change. Between schools starting anew in the fall and that being when we really get settled into a new location when we move, I tend to personally view Fall as the time for new beginnings even though that is generally associated with Spring. As much as I love Spring, it seems to figuratively go by so quickly because there is always the rush to the end; the rush to get ready for the change. I am as busy as ever this Spring with our upcoming move. In some ways I am more so. I am trying really hard to enjoy the "gold" this time, because like the poems says, nothing gold can stay. Spring used to be my very favorite season. I still like spring clothes and colors the best. :)

One of the less literal interpretations of that poem is the idea that the change occurring is not a bad thing. In each line, the second element is actually a value. It is part of the natural process by which the cycle of fuller life is completed. I have reminded myself of this a lot over the last few weeks as well. Fairly early in March, we received word that we would be going to the Washington D.C. area this summer as Trent would be PCSing (Permanent Change of Station) to Coast Guard Headquarters. We were happy with the job he was going to and started making all the vague outlines of plans. On Sunday the 15th, I got a call at the house and forwarded the message to Trent. It was to verify that job for him so that orders could be cut that next week. On Tuesday the 17th, Trent called. He was wanted for another job. When he called to tell me and to talk about it, I admit that I, who am no stranger to change, did not react well. I ranted and was suspicious. It is fortunate for me that I have a good Coast Guard friend I could call and talk this through with. She was able to understand but also to remind me that I was just reacting to having my mind wrapped around something. It took me at least 24 hours to calm down. I was near tears for that entire evening. I realized later how silly that is. There is every possibility that this is an opportunity we simply haven't had yet. Is it possible that it will be miserable? Sure, I suppose so. That would require our help in being miserable though. We are still going to DC. Trent is simply going to a different job. (For any who read this who I haven't told, Trent will be working at the Department of State in the Office of Polar Affairs for 2 years.) There is no reason to believe that there isn't the possibility for a real opportunity here. There is no reason to assume that the gold isn't subsiding to green and to a fuller part of this adventure we are living. Now, if things are awful in a few months or in a year, someone PLEASE remind me of this. :)