Savouring the season
There are times of year we dread, the imagination probably far worse than the reality. For me it is summer, which I foresee as long, disappointing and full of grief. For others it is winter, with its darkness and cold. Then there are the seasons we love, for me autumn, for many summer, which often seem, as we get older, to vanish in the blink of an eye, however fondly we have longed for them.
The secret to better appreciating the seasons is, I find, exactly the same for those we love and those we dread: take them one month at a time, and focus on the specifics.
I relish the days getting shorter and the nights darker, the scent of the cold in the night, walking home in shadow, frost in the air. But I completely understand that for others the prospect of months of damp darkness can seem daunting – just as for me the summer cycle of heatwave and soggy sandals feels like it can’t end too soon. My advice: don’t think of it as half the year. Think of the next few weeks, and of the things you can enjoy about the season. Perhaps it’s lighting a candle at breakfast time, or curling up at night under a blanket to watch a favourite film. Perhaps it’s homemade soup and apple crumble, or a hot chocolate after a long walk wearing your trusty wellies and wool scarf. Perhaps it’s the highlights of Halloween and Bonfire Night, fully savoured before the tinsel come out. Don’t look too far ahead. Focus on the good stuff.
If your favourite season has finally come, and you worry that once again you won’t feel like you’ve made the most of it, the same applies. Don’t think autumn, think October. What are your favourite things about this month? What memories do you want to revisit, which traditions to honour or create? Make a list. Check events you want to attend, buy ingredients for those recipes, add films to your favourites, pencil in a schedule for all the key things you want to experience. Keep it loose and playful, but put it all in there.
I’ve started to write wish lists for each month. I did, or at least started, everything on my September list. October isn’t quite going to plan. But I’m not beating myself up about it. This isn’t a list of work goals or a schedule of chores: it’s a wish list. It’s within my power to make it reality, but even so, some wishes will come true and others won’t, maybe not this month, maybe not until next autumn. Either way, the simple act of writing them down has ensured they won’t just be forgotten in busy daily life and the rush of the season. My list is a reminder, a menu to pick from, an invitation to slow down and enjoy a few simple, seasonal pleasures, if and when the mood takes me. It can also be a reminder there are things to look forward to and savour, whatever the time of year.
