When You Frame It Like That… Both/And is a Beautiful Thing!

This post may be seasonably out of date, but it’s truth is timeless and it’s claim classic; a thought worth thinking any time of year.

I like things neatly wrapped in concise little packages. I prefer most foods stay apart. I eat cake or ice cream, but seldom both. If I have both, I prefer them in separate dishes. I can multitask, but I’d rather not. I am often an either/or type of person.

That is probably why this beauty bothered me. It contained Autumn and Spring. Both/and mixed together in the same frame.

It had come about by indecisive weather. The temperature had turned decidedly toward Fall, with cooler air and cloudy days. The leaves began to turn, and all was well. But then we got some warm rain followed by several sunny days. It was as if nature thought Spring had sprung. As a result, we have both blooming bushes and Autumn leaves. I wanted either/or, until I realized my folly and looked again.

Blooming ivy poking through large fall leaves: When you frame it like that… both/and is a beautiful thing! — Both Autumn and Spring in the Same Frame

Both fall and spring is a beautiful phenomenon. And what a fool I’d be not to take it in with appreciation! In fact, as I chose to be open and notice, I saw it happening all around me.

Our rosemary bushes were not alone in their confusion. We had all sorts of flowers blooming when they should be resting. My beautiful gardenia against the backdrop of fallen leaves is just another of many examples I found.

Gardenia bloom against a background of fall leaves: When you frame it like that… both/and is a beautiful thing — Spring Gardenia and Autumn Leaves

Lord, you are far more creative than to be boxed into an either/or corner. You are both a consuming fire and a still, small voice. You are both the great “I Am” and my All in All. You are both wrath and mercy. Your glory is full of both/and. Thank you for this visible reminder of how beautiful it is.

“Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Let all creation rejoice before the Lord…”
Psalm 96:12, 13a

I don’t need things to be either/or. Autumn and spring are spectacular together. When you frame it like that, both/and is a beautiful thing!

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7 replies on “When You Frame It Like That… Both/And is a Beautiful Thing!”

Thank you for sharing!

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So true, spring and fall and even winter with a flower till peeking its head through the snow. My favorite is fall with green still in it. Lovely post

Thank you! I appreciate your eye for seasonal cross-over 😉

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Great post. This concept has helped me so many times step out of a judgmental mindset (either/or) and into a more peaceful approach that life can so often be “both/and”. Thanks for sharing and reminding me! Best Wishes! Leigh