Coats of Many Colors

I don't know how true this is anywhere else, but in the northeast we wear different coats for every season. Over the years I have found myself with a closet full of jackets and coats. Different textures, colors, weights depending on the time of year and the occasion. I have lighter jackets for spring and fall, some for rainy weather, and one for windy days. I have different winter coats depending on how cold, and how long I will be outside. I even have lightweight jackets for chilly summer nights. I have so many jackets and coats I have to rotate them each season.
Spring finds me choosing between brighter colors and textures that will protect from rain or wind. I have a different jacket for walking with Sonya than the one I wear to work, and a completely different jacket will cover my dress at church on Easter Sunday. Although the winter was more consistent for coat wearing, spring has no such sameness. Every day something changes and so I pick a different jacket to match the change.
Change is one of my favorite parts of spring. You never know exactly what it will bring. One day you are filled with sunshine and music and joy. The next it is cloudy and windy and there are so many doubts. And the next is cold, drizzling and contemplative. And so it will go. And just as you think you have it figured out, spring ends and summer begins with its warmth and laziness.
Sonya too is changing her coat. She has a dual-layer fur coat she wears all winter. It keeps her warm and dry and protected. She loves the cold snowy days. But soon, that fuzzy under layer will be seen in huge clumps around my house and yard. I'll brush it out into the backyard bushes in the hopes the birds will recycle it into their nests. And Sonya will be a slighter version of herself, ready for the warmer days.
Change is the one constant in our lives. Sometimes it is for the better, but sometimes it is not. One thing is for certain, you cannot stop it; you can only choose a different coat to wear.