Yesterday morning I was driving to work with snow flurrying around me, the sky heavy with gray clouds, Christmas music playing, and the windows down.

Each season brings me so much joy.

Living in a place with all four seasons has always been something I’ve been extremely thankful for. There’s so much beauty, so many memories, thousands of change, to associate with each of the seasons.

Spring 

Pastel colors painting a dull landscape. Life transforming and coming alive. The world gets warmer and warmer – heavy coats are stuffed in closets and the world dances around in sweaters and flip-flops. Sometimes the brave ones even venture outside for picnics.
Baby animals are born, grass begins to grow in abundance, breezes waft in open windows, days grow longer. Rejuvenation takes place.

Summer

Brillant colors replace the light ones, igniting the world with sunshine and evenings that last long and stay bright. Fireflies, whipper-willows, and a thousand other nighttime animals decide to serenade the world under a star-strewn sky.
Barefeet are the norm, and creek walking is the best way to cool off. So many meals are eaten outside that we barely know what to think when we eat inside anymore. The AC runs full blast, but many hours are spent working, cutting grass, visiting, and living out of doors. Iced tea on the porch, ball in the yard, stargazing with friends, memories are made.

Autumn 

The oppressive heat of summer fades into the jubilant dancing world of autumn. Trees morph into a patchwork of rusty, dusty, bright, and enthusiastic colors. Leaves fall. The wind runs through town, inviting everyone to stop and notice the glory all around them. Sweaters are once more worn, and sometimes shoes are even needed.
Hot cider, soups, gathering around the campfire, and tramping through the brittle hayfields and crisp leaves the world full of colors, textures, and sounds unavailable during the rest of the year. Community rallies around and goes for hayrides, celebrates together at sports events, and all shiver in the cold when the night falls.

Winter 

Like a palate with only a few colors, winter inspires the imagination, leaving the viewer to decode the message of the landscape themselves. Blacks, browns, stunning white. Winter slowly spreads it’s coldness and welcomes the world into the most cozy time of the year. With holidays and memories, and stew simmering all day on the stove, hot beverages are a must.
Gathering around the kitchen table each night, stories are exchanged, games are played, life discussed, and hearts full. Freshly fallen snow begs for everyone to run around, throw the cold powder into the air, feel the wind sting their faces, make snow angels. Sparkling sunlight, frosty air, stars the glitter and shine brighter than any other time of the year. The world is a cocoon, knowing that in a few months it will emerge stronger than ever before.