Seasons

(N.B. I am in the southern hemisphere so some of this may seem different to people in the Northern Hemisphere.)

December to February, summer is the hottest month encompasses the harshest terrain. The sun shines onto my country and with it comes heat and scorching degrees. There’s no relief in sight and the world glistens behind darkened glasses. It brings hope and happiness to many with sunshine and sand. This time for us is the festive season in the southern hemisphere and the turning of the calendar year. Heat harnesses the air and brings upon danger and adventure. Fire arrives and water quenches dehydration.  Summer is a favourite for holidays, to go to places where the spirit is high and the days never end. Sunscreen and insect repellent join the smells that intense summer brings. Heat waves with no end in sight and long days with the suns gaze. Summer brings tans and sunburnt skin upon some. The summer is holidays of school aged children over Christmas with January too far ahead.

March to May; autumn takes hold with traces of summer’s heat remaining but the days wind shorter. The leaves fall in their changing colour and in the air is a sense of unpredictability. There’s a change coming, respite appears a few days then returns the heat. The night time arrives earlier and the weather cools. Colour surrounds our days and the world dips into a surreal world of cold days and hot with no apparent reason. Colours yellow, orange and red scatter the ground in a perfect incompleteness covering the grey bleakness of footpaths and bitumen. Autumn turns the world into a wonderland of colour and adventure. It is a spectacular time when life seems brighter.

June to august brings upon wintery days of grey covered skies. Of nights snuggled up in toasty blankets and delicious warm meals. The rain is a friend and a foe but there’s still no substitute for its magic. Safety behind the walls and indoor pursuits where warmth ensures. Winter finds us within the middle of the year when the sun is occupying the Northern skies. Rain pours in release from the clouds letting all go. Darkened skies seem to affect the mood of all, with winds rushing through hair bringing changes. The air is fresh and filled with a crisp chill. Winter hangs in the way one hangs a decoration but the cold and rain are still spectacular in their breathtaking wonder.

September to November, there’s a spirit of renewal in the spring air. The hope of days to come. A time when winter may linger but the days are brighter. New life begins in the animal world. Once again the days are sometimes filled with the remains of winter’s embrace or they strike a flame for summer’s arrival. A spring in the air with allergies aplenty. Brand new flowers and animals surround. A night slowly becomes shorter as the sunshine stays in the sky longer bringing hope and excitement. The year is winding to an end with many hopeful for the new start ahead, but there’s still so much to complete this year.

The seasons brings us joy, hope and inspiration, there are some that prefer the heat to the cooler days and others that are the opposite. But for this reason we adjust to what the season currently is and we manage. Each season may be special for a reason but all we can do is make the most of the day, the sunshine or the rain are presented to us and we do what we can.