Every month the moon goes through its cycle of reflecting less and less and then more and more light of the sun. This photo shows four phases of the moon - one quarter, one half, three quarters and full. Jewish holidays often fall on the full moon, and Rosh Chodesh marks the first of each Hebrew month on the new moon.
These are cosmic phases we are familiar with and may see each month, if the sky is not cloudy! We learn about the phases of the moon in grade school science classes.
But we are not familiar with the idea or experience of life phases until we live through them. There's no neat chart or photo of our own personal life phases. neither before we go into a phase nor after we come out of it. We generally don't recognize life phases for ourselves, although we more easily notice them in our children and other people younger than we are.
I am posting about life phases today because I've gone through several since last posting on this blog. It's amazing to me that phases are not obvious when we're in them. My recent phases involve moving, grieving, remodeling and moving again. Only now am I starting to regain a sense of equilibrium and finally seeing my phases in perspective. It's a blessing for sure. And it's an opportunity for me to have compassion for myself and for others in the midst of their phases.
The part about having compassion for others is critical. Judging anyone from my phase-specific perspective on what's right or appropriate (or not) is simple human nature. This is what we do, unless we stop and consider the various phases in our own lives as stepping stones to the way we think and how we live now, today.
I am not advocating the popular idea "it's all good." No. I am describing the process of maturing through our life phases to see ourselves and others through eyes of wisdom.
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