Experiencing Different Seasons While Growing Up

Written By: Alexandra Calzadilla

Photo by Stephen Titus from Unsplash

“I took my love, I took it down

Climbed a mountain and I turned around

And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills

'Til the landslide brought me down.”

I hold these verses like a warm blanket against uncertainty. The song “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac is one that I mention when anybody asks me what song I use to describe my life. The lyrics, melodies and chords connect with me since I look back on how I have grown up throughout the different years of my life and pushed past adversity. 

“Can the child within my heart rise above? 

Can I sail through the changin' ocean tides? 

Can I handle the seasons of my life?”

Take a listen to "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac!

What does it mean to get older and face different challenges? Are we going to be able to bear them? Will we fail? They are terrifying thoughts, but they are what make leaving childhood so beautiful. Entering adulthood can bring many difficulties, whether it is leaving home, moving to a city or starting a new career. As I was growing up, I found many challenges that felt like they tore my life apart. I did not think I would ever see the light at the end of the tunnel, which may sound dramatic to some, but it was my reality. This song helps me remember that no matter what phases of my life I am going through, there will always be ups and downs. Getting older comes with many changes, and right now this song feels like a full circle moment since I am preparing to leave home this year for college.

For those who watched Stranger Things, when the 18-month jump started playing at the end of the season, they chose to play “Landslide.” I watched it at the movie theater and I immediately jumped off my seat since that was the best song they could have picked to wrap up the ending. It felt wholesome to see the characters finally live their lives normally after everything they have gone through. It is a song that represents closure and resilience, both for the characters, their actors, and me. 

A lot of us are finishing our last semester at Miami Dade and closing that chapter. It is okay to be nervous and afraid of new changes, but every time we think we are not capable of doing things on our own, it is just fear talking. 

As Fleetwood Mac said, “ Even children get older and I'm gettin' older, too,” and I am no longer afraid.