hearing the right words at the right time.

I was perusing this book of poetry by Mary Oliver today and came across a phrase that hit me like a ton of bricks.  Her poem Hurricane* ends with the lines "For some things there are no wrong seasons. Which is what I dream of for me."

I read that four or five times and then sat with it rolling around in my brain for a few minutes, and then read it again. I've been struggling with some major life decisions lately and trying to come to terms with the fact that some seasons of my life seem to have passed me by while I've put off doing certain things while waiting for a particular season to come. I have a very specific definition of the seasons of my life and the timelines that I think I should be following but for some reason life has a different definition.  And somehow this phrase gave me a freedom I didn't know I'd been looking for; the freedom to erase my own predetermined labels, confines and constraints and just live the life I've been given.  Easier said than done, of course, but the first step is acknowledgment so I figure I'm at least on the right track.

 *You can find the complete text here.

(and a huge thanks to Madame M for introducing me to her works.)