Recently the weather in the Seattle area has begun to shift slightly-the days are a little bit shorter, the nights a little bit crisper and the gray skies have returned more often than during the rest of this summer. I'm struck with my automatic thought to despise the end of summer and dread the coming of the colder, darker, rainier days. This year I would like to challenge this automatic thought of mine and since the changing of the seasons is inevitable, actually look forward to the autumn and winter seasons through a more positive, yet still sincere lens.
So yesterday I asked myself this question, "What do I love about each season?" And "what do I look forward to every year during each season?" Spring and Summer are my favorite seasons so it's extremely easy for me to come up with lists upon lists of my favorite things about these two sunnier, brighter seasons. But what about the two seasons that are more challenging for me?
My first thought, because of the chillier nights these past few weeks, is how much I love wearing a different scarf each day. When the colder months arrive, I no longer accessorize with necklaces as much as with scarves and boy is it fun! I also love wearing tall boots again with leg warmers in the fall and winter! But apart from clothing changes, I also look forward each year to the crunching of fallen autumn leaves on the ground during my sometimes rainy nature walks, which I try to take part in all year round if possible. This is one of the Tranquil Times I relish in and also a way for me to be creative with my nature photography and keep up my exercise during busy times. Speaking of photography, I love standing below trees during the fall and admiring all the bright reds and oranges and yellows of the leaves before they fall. I never tire of taking photographs of the exquisite Autumn colors in the Pacific Northwest where I live.
Now for the hardest season for me--winter! This took some real thought and creativity to come up with the things I like about winter and what I look forward to during the winter months. I always imagine the soft white snow falling so quietly and closing schools and workplaces, because this is such a peaceful event, if you don't have to drive on the icy, snowy roads around here and can just stay home and play. But let's be honest--this only happens at best one or two times maximum each year and sometimes not at all so I really needed to come up with more than just hopes for a winter wonderland this coming winter. So what else? Going to the gym no longer seems like a waste of sunshine because it's dark out by the time I'm off work most of the winter. So that's a positive way to view the darkness. I also enjoy settling in at home more during the winter months to work on crafts like making earrings--my best friend, Andrea and I made about 30 pairs of earrings last November in preparation for a holiday craft fair at my work! I'm motivated to try cooking yummy soup recipes during the cold winter and so is my wonderful mom who likes to share her soup creations every fall and winter. My adorable husband and I love preparing warm tea--especially chai tea--on cold nights and it's something I definitely look forward to very much.
Something wonderful about both fall and winter is cuddling! This coming fall will be our first fall as a married couple and I am definitely looking forward to staying in on cold, rainy nights, watching a movie all warm and cozy in our cute apartment. Not quite as fun as cuddling is bundling up for a walk outside in the cold, maybe on one of those amazingly clear, chilly days we sometimes get here in Seattle in the winter. Spotting the first pussy willows of the season every February is definitely a highlight for me as well because I love seeing the promise of the spring ahead right before my eyes in the form of a soft little plant I can pet! Seeing the tiny buds beginning on all the trees is also a delight after a long winter. The act of witnessing the beginning of this new growth shoots hopeful rays of light throughout my being every winter and I know that I've almost made it through another long winter and spring will come again.
So my real challenge is finding joy and love for the in-between--the waiting for spring to come, the aftermath of the fun, family-filled holiday season, the maintenance work of keeping our new year's intentions, all while the days feel extremely dark and dreary. I think I'll create a new tradition for the last week in January to help motivate me and give me something real to look forward to and work towards. What could it be? Going trapeze flying again? Doing an indoor (or outdoor) 5K walk at the end of January? Travel to the little German town of Leavenworth in Cascade Mountains east of Seattle to the Icicle Fest? Hosting an Anne of Green Gables movie marathon with the girls?
I think, for me, it helps immensely to always be working towards something, a secret little goal or a big, public dream--whatever it may be, the focus on forward motion helps inspire me. And breaking big dreams into fun, little projects throughout the year, like this weekly blog I started this month, makes the forward motion even more obtainable. So what will my project or tradition be during the dark, challenging months? That is the question. I'm grateful for this insight now, in August, before the cold darkness hits so I know what I need to creatively brainstorm about in order to be proactive for the coming fall and winter and make them joyful, love-filled seasons, just like my beloved spring and summer!
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