Seasons

For anyone who lives in North Texas you know that we have two times of year: Hot and not too hot. If we get anything else, it is not only rare but a welcome change. This year has been different. This year we have had a somewhat ‘normal’ (for the rest of the world) year as far as seasons go.

I remember all the snow at the beginning of the year because my father loved the snow. He loved all things winter. Whenever it snowed it was my father who wanted to build snowmen, have snowball fights, and find a hill to sled. The snow and ice reminded me of him so much. It also made me think of my grandmother, who also loved the snow. She forever wanted snow angels in her yard. I think more because it meant children had been there than any other reason.

Then came spring and rain. I will never forget the rains of this year because they also seemed to be effecting me in a personal way. Usually our spring is so warm that my parent’s pool is opened in March. It was cool and wet this year- too wet to open the pool that still has not been opened.

My mother went into the hospital shortly before most of the wet weather started. There were a number of days that would I come home from the hospital and there would be rain everywhere. I remember one day in particular because I had to drive slowly and find a different route than normal.

It rained the entire day before she died. Two weeks following her death, the river swelled and the city flooded like it did when I was a young child. Although I spent that week out of town, I remember feeling flooded also.

Now it is fall. The air is cooler in the mornings and yesterday I was tempted to leave my window open as I slept. Fall makes me think of open windows with curtains dancing in the breeze. Soon I will replace the setting on my table top with the Capricorn that my mother bought me a few years ago. The slide to winter will begin again.

I wonder why our years start and end in winter? The year begins with a burst of cold, harsh wind and ends the same. Why? O well…this new winter will be, if nothing else, interesting to say the very least.