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Good-bye Summer

by Jean McGuire in My life
     

I am not outside as much as I used to be when I was training for summer endurance events, but I am still a lover of the warmer weather. I feel more relaxed and at ease when the sun is shining and the warmth envelops me like a comforting blanket. I prefer the warmth of summer over the cold of winter.

However, I live in the Midwest.  Whether I like it or not, the weather is turning cooler and the days are getting shorter. Fall is not just coming, it is here.

Unlike me, my mother used to get almost giddy at the coming of the cooler weather. She loved the briskness in the air and the layering of clothing. She would put on her sweaters and wool slacks and just beam with happiness. I never could share her enthusiasm, despite her best efforts to convert me. I am honestly confused by people who love winter weather.

Every winter I fight the slippery descent into depression as the world around me goes into hibernation. One of the ways I have found to fight my battle is to focus on the plants that I have inside my home. My house is always full of plants, but in the winter it almost overflows with them.

I recently brought in the plants from the patio that I want to try and nurture through the winter. Like most people, I have had varying luck with the survival of these plants that were allowed to luxuriate in the warmth and humidity of the Kansas City summer. The Gerber Daisy that bloomed through the summer having survived last winter indoors is one I am especially proud of.

I live in an older home that was cobbled together with rooms being added as the need arose, so there are few windows. What windows there are have been claimed as perches for my feline roommate. As a result, my living room window, which for whatever reason the cat ignores, is crowded with greenery.

That part of my living room is beautiful to look at, and it gives me great satisfaction when I glance at the veritable forest of plants in my window. The plants now take up a vast amount of space in my home, but I gladly cede the space to them. I count on that greenery to keep me focused on the positives in my life. Those plants are my daily reminder that despite the cold of winter, I am still able to watch living things thrive.

Spring will eventually come knocking again. Many of my plants will move back outside where they thrive in the sunshine and warmth. Until then, I will appreciate the little bit of nature I am able to enjoy in my house.

 

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