In case you haven’t noticed, fall is here in full force. Pull out your sweaters and put some wood on the fire because, in the infamous words of the Stark family, “Winter is coming.” It’s time to curl up with the one you love, drink some warm apple cider, and turn on some feel good films or a scary movie if you’re feeling brave. You have to make the most of fall because it is only here for a limited time! But what is it about fall that we find so inviting? Is it the cooler temperatures or the cloudy skies? I think there is more to it than that.
Fall has this special essence to it that is unlike any other season. Spring has the fresh earthy feel, summer is hot and sticky, winter is cold and slippery, but fall is the happy medium between these. The leaves create a feeling of warmth as they turn red, gold, brown, and orange, but the air is in direct contrast as it becomes colder than before. The combination of warmth and cold puts us at ease and we want to be outside for no reason other than to just experience it for ourselves. A true fall is a privilege that regions with perpetual summers simply don’t understand.
If the seasons were stages of life, summer would be the present (as it is exciting and full of life), winter would be death (as it is cold and barren), spring would be the very beginning (as it is fresh, muddy, and green), but fall would be everything in between, the good, the bad, everything that makes us who we are. Fall is like going back to our roots and understanding that we cannot change the past, we can only reflect on it. Maybe this is why fall is so loved. Fall understands us and embraces us with vests and scarves. The sweet smell of fermenting leaves mixes with the cool air creating crisp scents that lingers in our noses and reminds us of long forgotten hayrides. Fall is nostalgia.
Sure there is nostalgia that comes with every season, but fall is different. Memories of ghost stories around a fire, and trick-or-treating come back to you before the leaves even begin to change. We go out of our way to recreate the childlike feel that comes with hearing the crunch of a leaf underfoot or tasting the first bite of an apple pie. Fall is not just about enjoying the weather, it is about remembering and cherishing every past fall you have experienced. There is a sense of nostalgia that comes with the whole season and is not just limited to one holiday found within it. Winter has Christmas and summer has the Fourth of July, but fall has fall.
Even when the first snow hits, signaling fall's end, we don’t want to admit that it is over. We try to fight off the winter with aged jack-o-lanterns and scarecrows, but deep down we know in a few weeks the snow will begin to stick and sweaters will be covered by coats. But what if we could have fall all year? Would we still feel the same way about it?
Part of fall's quaint appeal is that we can see it happen. From day to day more leaves change, fall, and meet the ground for the first time. Even if we had fall-like temperatures year round, it wouldn’t be the same as experiencing fall. Fall needs to happen during the harvest time, it needs to create a sense of urgency because winter is just around the corner.
We need to embrace fall while we can and not grieve when it is gone. It will be back again next year and we can reminisce and recreate our past that lives soundly in fall’s fading leaves.
