I am Grateful for Seasons

Kids get asked a lot about their favorites. What is your favorite color? What is your favorite subject? Who is your favorite teacher? Pet? Game? Food? Book? And on and on. We are expected to pick one. All kids know you can only have one favorite.

Except sometimes you have more than one favorite. One day I was talking to my Grandpa John. The conversation was rambling around and we landed on the subject of the weather and the seasons. He stated that he liked all the seasons. He liked that it changed. I realized then that I do, too.

When I was a kid I would have said that my favorite is summer. Summertime for a kid is fantastic. First, I definitely appreciated that it was warm. I am not a fan of being cold. Even in the hottest weather I will not swim in cold water. At Beaver's Bend Park in Oklahoma there is a swimming area. The water is river fed and it is cold, cold, cold. I won't put more than my toes in that water. Just enough to cool off. Mostly I sit on the beach and soak up the warmth. All that heat makes one appreciate a nice breeze. The second thing I like about the summer is the longer days. More time outside. In my corner of Texas the afternoons can get blistering hot, but the mornings and the evenings are delightful. Vacations happen in the summer. Independence day. Memorial Day. My birthday.

While I may not like being cold, I don't mind the cold. Winter has it's appeal. The cooler temps are a blessed break from the scorching heat of summer. It's a little exhilarating to be outside with the blustery winds. It's also really, really wonderful to get back in away from the winds. Those winds can cut right through you. Christmas happens. New Year's happens. I may not be able to wax as poetic about winter as summer, but I do appreciate it. I also appreciate that in Texas it is short. However, I would miss it if it didn't happen at all.

Spring and autumn almost don't happen at all here, so I think they are even more appreciated. Autumn smells good. That is my favorite thing about this time of year. It just smells good. Cinnamony and woodsy and crisp. Sometimes we get to see the leaves change color, although usually they just kind of give up and fall. Thanksgiving, which just might be my favorite holiday, happens in autumn. While we should appreciate the blessings we receive from the Lord all year, Thanksgiving is a time to give a special emphasis on it. We celebrate with food and family. I love food and family and together they are fantastic.

There are lots of things to like about springtime, but what I like best is wildflowers. Springtime is blue bonnet time in Texas. What an amazing site to see fields blanketed with that special blue. No wonder people pull off the side of the highways to get pictures. They are magnificent and then the Indian paintbrushes grow in. From the tiniest little flower that I don't know the name of to the purple coneflower and mexican blanket and lantana and sunflowers and all the others, I love wildflowers. They are hopeful and beautiful and refreshing.

I love the seasons. I love that they change. I would not want to live in eternal summer or endless winter. I want them all. Each has it's own unique flavor and beauty. I am grateful for the seasons.