recognition

Each one of us must go from phase to phase in our development.
If we stay too long in one stage,
we will be warped or stunted in our growth.
If we rush through a stage,
then we will gain none of the rewards
or learning experiences of that phase

Subsequent growth will be thrown off-balance;
we will either have to go back and make it up,
or, in the cases of experiences that can never be repeated,
lose out on them forever.
The proper discerning of these transitions is essential

As we go through our various stages in life,
it is important to mark the shift
from one stage to another.
Recognition is very important

We must understand that we are leaving behind
one part of life and entering another

Sometimes, we mark this with a rite of passage
such as graduation or marriage.
At other times, it may be
a personal declaration made privately

Whatever the reason,
it is important to know
exactly when to close one phase
and when to open the next

That is why it is said
that one counts the spokes
on the heavenly wheel as it turns:
It is the measure of our lives