“Celebration of the Seasons of Life,” Ensign, June 2005, 38–41
Celebration of the Seasons of Life
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
“A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; …
“A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; …
“… for there is a time … for every purpose and for every work” (Eccl. 3:1–2, 4, 17).
As we learn in Ecclesiastes, our lives are filled with contrasting seasons. Following are images and a story that reflect some of the seasons of our lives and our relationships with one another across the generations.
A Man Swinging (left) and Winter Dancing (right), both by Brian T. Kershisnik, capture the energy and joy that come when it is our “time to laugh” and our “time to dance” (Eccl. 3:4).
“One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh” (Eccl. 1:4).
We see the joy and influence of overlapping generations in Grandma, by Anne Marie Oborn (right), and in the story “Grandma’s Gift,” by Monica Millward Weeks.
As we pass through the seasons of our life, we gain experience. In Grandma Is a Story-teller, by Judith Mehr, children listen eagerly to their grandmother’s stories.
In Watermelon Patch, by Mark Keathley, a grandfather teaches his grandchildren simple truths about the law of the harvest.
In Memories of Grandpa, by Kimball Warren, a grandfather and grandson share a horse and time together.
In each of these works, hearts are being turned from “the fathers to the children” and from “the children to their fathers” as promised in Malachi 4:5–6 (see also D&C 2:1–3).
In Generations II: Circle of Strength, by Keith Mallett, we see the hearts of a father, grandfather, and great-grandfather being turned to the newest generation.
In the soft sculpture Turning the Heart of a Child to Her Ancestors, by Margery Sorensen Cannon, we see a granddaughter looking to her grandmother to share memories of the past.