The seasons and life go together like peanut butter and jelly, boxed wine and macaroni and cheese, Sasquatch and the Yeti (you get the point). During our time on Earth, we are born, we thrive, we decay, and we die, much like the state of the natural world during the seasons. The seasons play a larger role in life than many of us think, and perhaps by observing the rhythm of the seasons our own life cycle can seem clearer.
Spring is the beginning of something great. Life has once again bloomed on Earth, and will continue to flourish throughout the spring, summer, and autumn. The once-bleak colors of the winter that pollute the snowy landscape have become pastel and hint at life. The days are longer, the sun is brighter, and a hint of summer can be seen in spring sunsets. The spring provides us a preview of the summer and gets the Earth back on track once more after her winter slumber
For humans, the spring represents the beginning of our lives. People everywhere reawaken from their winter slumber, and the once barren streets begin to become repopulated. The parks are splattered with people playing games, reading books, exercising, etc., and everyone has shed their bulky winter coats. The weather is finally beginning to become warm again, and a sense of optimism fills the air. Holidays such as Easter and Passover are held in the spring, and it's the beginning of something grand.
As April turns to May, and May turns to June, summer has come with little notice. During the summer, the world is at its prime. The plants have grown to their full potential; brilliant flowers and leaves clutter the earth. For the fauna, food is everywhere, and the temperature is perfect. Insects rampage the earth, and life can be seen in every crevice of the vivid and saturated landscape. Sunlight showers the world, and the skies make you feel as if you're in an Expressionist oil painting.
The summer represents young to middle adulthood in our lives; the time we thrive. Much like a human's life, spring (youth), has reached its full potential (adulthood). The warm summer air nestles our bodies, and it is finally 100% pleasant to be outside. The summer is the peak of human activity, no matter where you venture outdoors, someone can be seen enjoying the brief summer months. Some of my fondest memories have been during the summer, the summer is a time of life, and during this season the world thrives.
All good things must come to an end. As September approaches, a slight chill enters the air. As the autumn wages on, this chill slowly increases along with the ever increasing doom of winter. The leaves on the trees, while sill beautiful, become shells of their former selves. Their once green hue become shades of fiery red, orange, yellow, and brown. The animals begin to prepare for the approaching winter by fattening up, stockpiling food, or even migrating. The colors of the fall still hold the vividness of the summer, yet desaturate; it's as if someone spilled red into the green paint that Mother Nature used to paint the world. While autumn sunsets are my personal favorite, they lack the vigor of the summer sunsets, and it is evident that the world is dying.
Autumn represents the middle to late adulthood of a human's life. As in nature, it is the time we lose our vigor and begin to approach an inevitable death. In the autumn, people enjoy the few remaining pleasant days. We try to get out as much as possible, but a sense of fear pollutes the air. When mid-October comes and the nighttime temperature begins to dip below 40, it is clear that the summer is over and winter is coming. Jackets are once again required, and we must begin to hardy up for the winter. In the autumn, we celebrate holidays that represent death, such as Halloween.
November has progressed to December, and the world has died. The trees have lost their leaves, plants are non-existent, and the grass closely resembles the bottom of a 'Frosted Mini Wheats' box. The tougher animals have seemed to disappear, and the world is cold and lifeless. Brutal Nor’Easters change the earth into a bleak frozen white landscape. The frigid temperature and wild winds make being outside feel like laying on a bed of pins. The sunlight is weak and limited, the colors of the earth are hues of gray, brown, navy blue and white. It is as if all color has been stripped from the earth and we are living in a movie with a half-assed black-and-white filter.
Winter represents human death. When a person is in the 'winter of their life,' they are either about to die, or have already died. The streets are once again barren, and we try our hardest to avoid being outdoors. The only heat in our New England winter is unnatural and dry, a season characterized by bouncing from heated building to heated building. You never truly warm in the winter, for the essence of cold permanently chills the bones. Everything is difficult in the winter. The grocery stores have a terrible selection of produce, for one. However, as bad as the winter is, spring is right around the corner and the cycle will begin again.
Like life, the seasons carry out an infinite cycle. Life is born, life thrives, and life dies only to be born again. It’s funny how upon closer examination everything goes together. Maybe life isn't so complicated after all. Perhaps Socrates wasted his time. Maybe all you have to discover truths about life is to look at something as simple as the seasons.
