This has been a very rough year for many folks. When the years are lean and hard, it may be difficult to feel like celebrating a harvest that isn't bountiful. There are many things that can affect your crop, whether physical or spiritual in nature.
Sometimes, famine and disease are a factor. Sometimes, insects come along and destroy the tender shoots at the opportune moment for them, but the worst for you. Perhaps there is too much rain or not enough... there are just so many factors that are outside of one's control ... it can make it seem as if it's really just a roll of the dice, no?
The truth is, not all harvests are bountiful.
It's cyclical, much like the seasons themselves. Sometimes, you get a bountiful harvest for many years in a row. Sometimes, it's barely worth mentioning. It's during those lean times that we can appreciate the little we do have, and when our turn comes again for the bounty, we're reminded of how grateful we are for it. It also reminds us to share with those who are less fortunate than we, for we too, may one day be in their shoes.
If you're experiencing the lean right now, keep your chin up. This too, shall pass. Keep fighting, keep planting, keep growing. Your time of bounty will come again. Don't give up.
Celebrate anyway. Kick off your shoes and dance.
In the words of Khalil Gibran, “And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair”
Sláinte!