Time will pass and seasons will come and go.

The American frontier judge, Roy Bean, once spoke with plain yet enduring wisdom: “Time will pass and seasons will come and go.” Though uttered without ornament, these words carry the weight of eternity. They remind us of the ceaseless rhythm of time, which flows like a river that no man can dam. The seasons rise and fall in their eternal cycle—spring into summer, summer into autumn, autumn into winter—each one fading even as it begins. Within this simple observation lies a teaching: all things change, nothing remains fixed, and to live wisely is to walk in harmony with this unending passage.

The origin of this saying belongs to Judge Roy Bean, a figure of the rough American West, often called “the Law West of the Pecos.” Known for his unorthodox judgments and rugged wit, Bean’s words carried the dust of the frontier, but also the echo of the ancients. For in his statement we hear the same truth that farmers, poets, and philosophers have known across millennia: life is measured not in stillness, but in cycles; not in permanence, but in the flow of time and the turning of seasons.

History gives us vivid lessons in this truth. Think of the rise and fall of empires. The mighty empire of Egypt once flourished like spring, then waned into the dryness of autumn. The power of Rome, too, once blazed like summer, but was carried away into the chill of decline. What men believed would last forever was swept away by the slow but unstoppable passage of time. Yet after their fall, new seasons came: other peoples, other cultures, other glories. The world reminds us again and again that nothing stands outside the cycles of time.

But the saying is not meant to be only solemn; it also carries comfort. Consider the hardships of farmers who endure long winters of hunger and cold. They know that spring will return, that seeds will rise again from the ground, that life will not remain in darkness forever. Likewise, those who suffer in life may cling to this wisdom: sorrow is not eternal, for joy too will come with the turning of the seasons. Time carries away not only beauty, but also pain. What is bitter today may be sweet tomorrow.

The deeper meaning of Bean’s words is this: impermanence is both loss and hope. To those who cling too tightly to power, youth, or possessions, it is a warning—these things will fade. To those weighed down with grief or despair, it is a promise—this too shall pass. The seasons do not ask our permission to come or go, but they remind us that change is the only constant. In learning to accept this, we gain peace; in resisting it, we only suffer.

The lesson is to live with awareness of time’s passage. Do not waste your days in idleness, for they will not return. Do not despair when winter comes, for spring is already waiting beyond it. Instead, live each season with fullness: sow in spring, reap in summer, reflect in autumn, endure in winter. To align your heart with the cycles of time is to live in harmony with the universe itself.

Practically, this means embracing patience and gratitude. If you are in hardship, remind yourself that seasons turn, that tomorrow may bring new opportunity. If you are in prosperity, treasure it, knowing it will not last forever. Mark your life not by regret of what has passed nor fear of what is coming, but by presence in the day before you. Like the farmer who works the soil with trust in the unseen harvest, live today knowing that time will carry you into what is next.

So remember, children of tomorrow: time will pass and seasons will come and go. You cannot halt the river, nor chain the winds of change. But you can walk with them, learn from them, and find strength in their rhythm. Accept the passage, and you will find peace; embrace each season, and you will find meaning. For though the world is ever-changing, wisdom is found in living fully within the flow of its eternal cycle.