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President’s Musings
I write this on June 1, the day each year when I become aware that the heavens are about to deliver a subtle but significant change. In just three weeks, our experience of daylight reaches a turning point. Since the Winter Solstice in December, each day has grown a little longer than the one before. Soon, however, that trend will reverse. Despite the warmth of summer, rounds of golf, tennis matches, beach outings, and road trips, the days will begin to shorten. By September, we will notice the earlier sunsets and the approach of autumn.
There is something bittersweet about this transition. In June, I feel a twinge of sadness knowing that daylight has reached its peak and is beginning its slow retreat. Yet I experience the opposite feeling during the dark days of December, when the promise of lengthening days lies just ahead. The cycle brings both loss and renewal, depending on where we stand within it.
Renewal is one of nature’s most enduring themes. I am often struck by the many ways our own bodies are able to heal; our bodies' cells are constantly dying and being replaced. Even the heart renews itself, generating new muscle cells that help sustain life. Many of us have experienced fractures that seemed devastating at first, only to watch our bodies methodically repair them. Specialized cells called osteoblasts create new bone, restoring strength and shape with remarkable precision.
Wherever we look, we find examples of renewal—in nature, in our bodies, and in our communities. Seasons change, wounds heal, and life continually recreates itself. Whenever we need a source of optimism, we need only pay attention to what is happening around us. Renewal is endless, and it quietly carries us forward into the future.
Jim Greenberg, President EOLCC
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