Welcome, Fall

 
 
 
 
 
Are we never satisfied with what we have?
That was my mom’s question after I blogged about autumn when she commented that she, being in FL, is now missing the autumn.

I know that most of you may not read this as often as I add new blogs (& I admit that I can be a bit ridiculous at times, writing every day or even more than once a day). So to refresh your memory or just let you know about a blog I posted on Sept. 21, I wrote about how much I dislike the fall. Now, I don’t know why my feelings about autumn & winter have changed, but this is the first year I can remember complaining so much about the seasons changing (maybe it’s just that I have this new medium with which to complain!). In the past, I have appreciated the change to fall, looking forward to beautifully changing leaves & dressing the kids up for Halloween, apple cider & pumpkin-decorating, Christmastime & snow. To be sure, I have definitely always enjoyed spring & summer more than the colder seasons. But I enjoyed the other changes & even appreciated the fact that the colder seasons help me look forward to & appreciate the warmer seasons all the more. Maybe I am experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder (see Patrick Mead’s blog about SAD, if you’re curious about it); or maybe I am just in a low cycle of my life; or maybe, now more than ever, I am really not enjoying being cold all the time (and I am, cold all the time). But my friend Jen Gorham’s comments made me rethink my feelings on autumn & seasons changing. Jen grew up in Florida, went to Harding with me, and has now lived in Chicago for a little while. So, she’s experienced various climates. She is also a very wise person. :) What she had to share is something I might have thought about before, but could never have put it so eloquently. So I’m just going to quote what she had to say about the seasons.

“Okay so I realize that people have really different perspectives on things because after 5 years of living in Chicagoland I LOVE the winter trees. The rhythm of the seasons is so beautiful to me, and the crisp edges of being able to see the tree in its nakedness is something incredible in my eyes. They are stark, they are dark, they have nothing to hide. It makes spring so amazingly wonderful when it comes! But those stark trees remind me that I have lots of things in my life to shed, and that there are seasons in life where God calls me to a new level of “nakedness” with him and others. And that there is nothing to fear, as spring comes with regularity. There has never been a year when winter is the only season we have. Amazing his faithfulness through this rhythm. Anyway, I know that they are ugly, but maybe this gives another perspective!”

It does give another perspective. Thanks, Jen!

By the way, I still think I’d rather live somewhere warm all the time. After all, God didn’t make the entire world to experience the seasonal changes we have in this part of the world, so surely He doesn’t mind that some people would prefer to be in warmer climates. But I can appreciate the seasons while I’m here . . . which will probably be a long, long time! I'll just appreciate the cooler weather better when I have a nice cup of hot apple cider to keep me warm. Mmmm.