Following the sun

Despite the reassurance from next week's weather forecast that there will be some sunshine on the way,

it's hard not to feel dampened by the fact that summer is pretty much on its way out. Sandals, shorts and skirts have long been packed away, and curtains are now drawn latest by 7.45pm. 

I once had a conversation with a dear friend who told me that she could not imagine living in a country without seasons. The changing seasons, for her, symbolised the natural changes that would take place in her life too. This was amusing to me, the girl who lived the first 20 years of her life knowing only the tropical climate, where natural changes come in the form of rain or sun. How can one resist a year-long summer, where the sun shines so often that your mood does not become dependent on the colour of the sky? 

But the more this conversation replayed itself, the more sense it made.

Autumn has always been a datum point for resolutions-- it signifies the fresh start after a long period of enjoyment and rest. Just as I am about to exhaust myself and give up a few months after that, the dark, bitter cold lit by blinking lights will remind me that christmas is near, and my heart will be warmed by the thoughts of cosy nights and the festive ambience that will cover the city. As soon as 21st December passes, I know that the winter is halfway through and the days will now get longer. Spring, with its temperamental transition between the cold and the warmth, and the sudden appearance of gaudy flowers and birds, refreshes the cold and tired soul and becomes a reminder that brighter days are  ahead. And summer..summer is when the spirit becomes so carefree that you have never felt so alive.

 Then I understood that every season brings with it a new environment, a new setting, new resolutions, new hopes and new goals to look forward to. It makes the passing year more bearable knowing that a fresh start is within reach after every couple of months, and that there will be four datum points in a year where life will flourish in all kinds of directions depending on where the season takes you. 

I have my dear friend to thank, for now I feel more at ease to welcome the upcoming autumn.