Today, the Neighbours Said Goodbye to Their Trampoline

The writer of Ecclesiastes concludes: "There's a time for everything, a season for every activity under the sun." Whether it's a major life event or a more simple change, there's a certain inevitability, a kind of rhythm, that touches everything. This includes the staple furniture of many British gardens: the beloved, yet very ordinary trampoline.

Fourteen years ago, when my wife and I purchased our first home—with a sort of British homeowner’s pride—we philosophically looked out toward the rear garden from the upstairs window. Sipping on cups of tea, we discussed what we wanted to do with our newly owned (but unkempt) garden. We both agreed it needed tender loving care.

As we chatted away, we noticed the neighbours’ large but well-used trampoline sitting on their beautifully maintained lawn. The kind of lawn not too dissimilar to what you’d expect to find at a National Trust garden. Ours, on the other hand, resembled the kind of lawn you’d find after a wet Glastonbury year—a kind of disease-stricken, mossy swamp. The grass was definitely greener on the other side.

Today, the neighbours said goodbye to their trampoline.

Standing by the same window, my wife and I both watched as we reflected on the season of change for our neighbours. Their kids—now older and busy with new adventures—grew up bouncing haplessly on it for years. Occasionally, our kids would go over and join them for directionless bouncing. It was joyful to hear their laughter, but the thought of broken bones always had me on edge. Eventually, as their age gap widened, so too did their interests. Their trampoline fell silent. Not long after, our kids had the trampoline bug, so we bought one too. The best bit: the giggles continued, and so too did the nail-biting dad watching nervously from the side.

The ground where the neighbours’ trampoline once stood is now less manicured lawn and more overgrown weeds. They’re currently cultivating the ground to prepare the area for a potential vegetable patch. Exciting! As they begin planting, I wonder what the earth will yield for them over the next fourteen years.

As one season ends for our neighbours, a new season begins. Watching them, I was gently reminded of God’s wise and good design for the seasons of life. Ecclesiastes 3:1 words it beautifully:

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven... (Ecclesiastes 3:1)