The Changing Seasons

And just like that, we are at the beginning of another season change. I am not sure what kind of person you are- maybe you like the coziness of rain, the pitter-patter on your window or roof, the comfort of cloudiness. Or perhaps you are like me, and despite the draw of fall, the longer nights and darker days start to affect your morale. 

We are located in British Columbia, where rain and cloudy days  stretch endlessly throughout much of the year. By November, it is dark by 4pm. Lack of vitamin D is a struggle here. Admittedly, it can be hard to stay optimistic. But in this transition from summer to fall, I am reminded of the beauty of seasons. 

There’s this quote I love from Rainer Maria Rilke that goes like this: 

The shift in seasons mirrors the ebb and flow of life. You see, summer feels like the easy, celebratory moments, where joy is abundant and beauty constantly catches the eye. It’s not hard to feel warm here. There’s space in this season to savor what’s around us. This summer, I was reminded of that beauty through the blooming of our perennials and hydrangeas, their vibrant flower heads attracting bees and bringing even more life. Ever notice how life breeds more life? It’s a joy to witness, but notice how these sweet seasons never last?

Sooner or later, Fall arrives. And while fall brings its own set of beauty- new colors, relief from heat, the harvest of summer’s labors; there is also a sense of letting go. The trees drop their leaves, flowers release their petals, and even pollinators and spiders start to disappear. Fall is a time of releasing past beauty, and sometimes, that brings grief. Have you ever had to grieve the loss of something that once captivated your heart? Sometimes it’s a slow loss, like the steady color-change of leaves dropping to the ground, but other times it’s a jarring rain storm that strips a tree bare. Yes, fall has its ups and downs. 

Then comes the winter. Winter feels like dormancy—no leaves, little greenery, and lingering darkness.We know, thanks to spring, that winter isn’t death but a deep sleep. Sleep that if we are honest seeps into  our own souls. Don’t you feel sleepier in winter? And in the peak of this sleepy season, sadness can creep in with the cold. Often the winter mirrors our hardest, harshest seasons. Here, it can be a struggle to see the next season. We don’t know how long we will be here and that insecurity can bring about anxiety. Seemingly nothing grows. Nothing can be planted. Nothing can thrive. We must all, like the plants, learn to endure. Now even in the midst of short and cold days, beauty can still be found. But it’s not as showy as the summer. You may need to get down on your hands and knees to find it. 

Yet the beauty of seasons is that change is more constant than the seemingly endless winter. Spring’s return is not contingent on our belief of its timing. Spring always comes- gently and quietly- accompanied by little green buds that, if you have the eyes to see, you can catch early. Surely as the sunrise, greenery re-emerges from its long hibernation reminding us that death is only a means to more life in its time. Perhaps it is the very darkness of winter that allows new growth in the spring. Spring is the culmination of the work saved in the winter. Can you see it in your own life? Haven’t those darker seasons helped shape you to become who you are?

Without winter’s cold darkness, how could we fully appreciate the long warmth of the summer sun? Without letting go in  fall, how could we have space for the newness of spring? So if I can encourage you with anything, readers hear this: in whatever season you may find yourself, even here  there is purpose. Perhaps you are discouraged because you don’t know when that season will end- know that it always does. Life was not meant to be unchanging. The very seasons we experience each year make this certain. And whatever season you are in, there is always beauty to be found. Sometimes it is harder to do, but it’s always there. 

You will grow again, you will let go again. You will bloom and thrive and bounce up and down again, and you will endure through the slow coldness of hardship. Thus is the way of life, and we go on.