Turning of the Seasons

While I sit curled up on my sofa, there is an autumn video playing in the background. It’s of a Cotswold cottage, stone fireplace, pumpkins and florals, candles glowing, and the soothing sound of a crackling fire. I can smell the enchiladas I have baking in the oven, and I have a steaming cup of hot tea sitting beside me, beckoning me to slow down for just a moment and savor the aroma. This is just a few of the ways I celebrate the turning of the seasons. But there is so much more.

I love the fall and winter months…

I love the fall and winter months. Some people experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD) during the long dreary days of winter. I, however, experience those feelings during the ridiculous never-ending heat of summer. By the end of August I am so agitated by the heat that I could seclude myself until the first frost.

I’ve been reading the book Wintering, by Katherine May. It is so good. She talks about seasons of life, and the turning of the seasons of life, and how we can choose to winter (metaphorically speaking) well. For example, she writes:

“In the high summer, we want to be outside and active; in winter, we are called inside, and here we attend to all the detritus of the summer months, when we were too busy to take the necessary care. Winter is when I reorganize my bookshelves and read all the books I acquired in the previous year and failed to actually read. It is also the time when I reread beloved novels, for the pleasure of reacquainting myself with old friends. In summer, I want big, splashy ideas and page-turners, devoured while lounging in a garden chair or perching on one of the breakwaters on the beach. In winter, I want concepts to chew over in a pool of lamplight – slow, spiritual reading, a reinforcement of the soul. Winter is a time for libraries, the muffled quiet of book stacks and the scent of old pages and dust. In winter, I can spend hours in silent pursuit of a half-understood concept or a detail of history. There is nowhere else to be, after all.“

Reacquainting with old friends…

I love that she so wonderfully writes, “It is also the time when I reread beloved novels, for the pleasure of reacquainting myself with old friends.” Sigh! Oh how I love the days of fall and winter. It’s a time when my hands find business in knitting, crocheting, embroidering, and writing. The turning of the seasons allows me to be in the kitchen more, like reacquainting with old friends; baking, making soup, stirring sourdough starter. And there is great satisfaction to be found in the steady work of our hands.

Begin to gather your supplies…

So as we approach the coming cold, dark days of autumn and winter, I realize it isn’t something we often look forward to, the setting of the sun at half four in the afternoon, but I do believe there are ways we can approach the turning of the seasons with anticipation. We can begin now to gather our supplies to winter well; the ball of soft wool, a new notebook and writing pen, a few good books, our favorite tea.

The turning of the seasons is part of nature; animals hibernate and recharge during the winter months. I believe we should allow ourselves the same blissful opportunity. For now, I’m beginning a stash of books to be read over the coming months. I have tea stocked in the overflow pantry, and I’m thinking of my next knitting project.

The turning of the seasons can be something we look forward to, not dread. There is purpose for every time and every season under heaven. What will your purpose be in the coming months?