Parting with Seasons


BY GINA JABER

My husband has always hated the end of daylight saving time that occurs in the fall. Unimpressed with the extra hour of sleep, every year, he says the same thing: "Whoever decided to mess with the time was making a big mistake." Then, without a choice, he reluctantly changes the clocks, laments the halting of the long days and accepts what to him now feels like a curfew.
    I, on the other hand, don't mind the adjustment and have my standard comebacks. I point out the coziness that comes with the time change, the satisfaction we feel in the fall when we settle into a routine again, and though overwhelming, the spirit of the holidays that lie ahead.
    This year, as I was defending the shorter days, it occurred to me that my annual appreciation for the coming of fall can really be summed up by three simple words: family, friends and food. While spring and summer offer their own sweet rewards, fall and winter promise something very different, something directly associated with comfort. As daylight dwindles we are drawn more closely to those things that make us feel safe and satisfied. It is then that our nesting instincts kick in and our moods are more directed toward home.
    Leaving aside that family, friends and food can certainly carry their downsides-maddening relatives, unmet expectations, that extra winter weight-the fact that we have these blessings is what matters most. And we are thankful for it all, if only because having these staples, for better or worse, remind us that we are a part of a grand scheme that keeps us deeply and endlessly engaged with life.
    When all is said and done, it is each of these things we will remember, the things that we cannot imagine living without, the building blocks of our lives. And it is in this season that our autumn traditions, year after year, invite us to take stock and express gratitude.
    Sometimes I am surprised at how it seems that we actually need the seasonal change to jar us out of our regular, take-it-all-for-granted mind-frames. And though we might hate to say goodbye to summer, a houseguest who leaves right before he has worn out his welcome, it's really the perfect way to part.
    So while my husband has yet to get comfortable with the yearly ritual of letting go of some daylight, I see it as a symbolic moment in the year, a chance to experience something different and to marvel at what it is we each give and are given.
E-mail Gina Jaber at ginajab@yahoo.com