Do you notice how the seasons fade?
Autumn blazes with color and crunch. It lasts only four weeks before turning barren and deadly quiet. It cedes to winter easily, at least in Michigan. The damp chill settles in long before the calendar signals the season's end.
Winter overstays its welcome, viciously blanketing crocuses and daffodils with a white, snowy blanket, once, twice, sometimes three times before giving in. Winter wants the last word, dodging its demise at every turn. We bemoan its tenacity. Winter laughs at us.
Spring spars with summer. Through midnight thunderstorms heavy with argument, spring holds on despite the rising heat. Having battled so hard with winter, perhaps the battling comes easy for spring, despite the gentle blossoms and new leaves. Unable to quell the warmth ascending from the south, spring exacts revenge on summer by sending heavy rains and rolling thunderheads.
But summer. Ah, summer. It shakes hands with autumn. They agree on shorter days and golden evenings that end late enough for outdoor play, but early enough for a pajama evening indoors, if you like. Summer is happy to exit with bright, clear, sunny days while autumn sends cool evenings that tinge the leaves with gold and red. Almost without notice, summer waves a silent goodbye and steps off the stage, leaving one last stretch of heat for Indian Summer, one last waft of wildflowers to carry us through a long, cold winter.
If it be God's will, I want to go out like summer: a handshake and happy memories in my wake.
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Readers: do you have seasons where you live? What is your favorite season, and why?
4 comments:
I live in the Sierra Foothills of California, and we experience all four seasons. Summer seems longer than all the others, though, since the rains generally stop in May and don't return until late September or early October. I'm OK with that because summer is my favorite season. I don't like being cold, and there's plenty of hot in our summers, although we had a remarkably mild summer this year with few days over 100ยบ.
Gwen, definitely. In fact, I could so relate to your post, writing as I am from North Dakota, where winter is coming on all too quickly. I can feel it. I am a lover of the season of fall. I like spring too. I'll take the more temperate seasons, but I love them all, really, and have missed the four of them hanging out like cousins who pass by one another for a short while each year while living on the West Coast years back.
It was so good to see you on my blog today, and my post on Green Lake will be up at midnight if you'd like to see... :)
Oh, yes, I want to be Summer, too--making everyone relax and ready for fun!
I am enjoying the cooler days of Autumn right now, and trying not to think of winter's arrival.
Thanks for asking!
How could I have a favorite season besides autumn when I live in Michigan? :D
I love these posts. I still remember when you did similar posts the first of every month. Have I told you lately how much I love your writing, dearest? ♥
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