The teenage years are often like spring, where rainbows follow on the heels of rainstorms

The season spring has long been used as a metaphor for unpredictability, with its transitional energy shifting from cold one day to hot the next. Wind and rain are hallmarks of spring, and they leave us feeling shaken up and unsettled as they sweep away the debris of past seasons, clearing the way for new growth. Rainbows follow on the heels of rainstorms, and the sun emerges, coaxing tight buds to finally soften and blossom forth into the world. With the arrival of summer, things settle down a bit, with more predictable weather, and we all breathe a little sigh of relief, because even though we love the wildness of spring, it is not exactly an easy time.

The same could be said of the stormy period of the human life cycle known as the teenage years. Like the surprising spring winds that come out of nowhere, throwing the scene into chaos, and then dying out, the moods of the teen years are doing the work of sweeping away the dust and dried leaves of childhood to make way for a whole new person. Like the rain-cum-hail storms that move in fast and then pass suddenly to make way for a calm, warm afternoon, our teenagers shift back and forth from the child we have always known, to the moody entity that has come to inform us that things will never be the same again. This can be a challenging time for all involved, as we let go of a past we may have cherished, and try to be open to the new thing being born. If we remember that the unpredictable moods and the unfamiliar outbursts are the natural weather of transition, we stand a chance of getting through it with our equanimity intact.

We can remind ourselves not to take it personally, any more than we would take an unexpected snowstorm personally. This way, we won't add to the drama with our own unresolved feelings and issues. Regardless of what we do or don't do, the wild weather, and the unpredictable moods, will eventually settle, and we will find ourselves once again in the midst of a calmer season.