Foolishly, I went looking for signs of her….
Today, I put on my coat and boots and put the leash on my dog to take her for a walk. A moment before I left, a random thought comes to my mind and I grab my camera, hoping maybe I will see something of interest. Excitement takes hold as we both rush out into the cool air and I head back to where I had spent a magical afternoon with someone I hadn’t seen in a while. I was going back to the spot where I last saw “her”.
Truth be told, I wasn’t ready for what I saw. The once lush fields of green that caught gentle brisk winds have since been replaced with an endless field of crystal white. Leaves coloured by yellow , orange and red that used to dance and play have long since been buried under the monochrome cold. The whispers are gone and all I am met with is silence. She is not here and I begin to grieve the loss of my lady Autumn.
As I turn to go back home, a beam of sunlight catches my eye and I stop in my tracks. There is a moment of shock as I am hit by thousands of tiny rainbows from the snow that I had thought as nothing more than a grave. A wind picks up and the branches of trees that have long since lost their leaves sway back and forth, stretching their arms outwards, fingers reaching for something I can’t see. I look up and the clouds briefly pull back to reveal the most intense shade of blue as my dog bounces about in the fluffy white that covers the ground without a care in the world.
Lady Autumn is not gone. She is sleeping. Her sister Winter is near and watches over her, wrapping her in soft white blankets while she rests. In time, Autumn will come again. Until then, we are all in Winter’s care.
At first I thought Winter as a cold and harsh mistress; ice running through her veins and emotionless. I was wrong. She brings the dark so that all can sleep. She brings the cold so that we can wrap ourselves in blankets, have fires and drink hot chocolate. She provides so that we may find warmth. There is beauty in her touch. She is caring in her own way and when her day is done, she too will sleep and make way for another.
My dog is now looking at me, her face covered in the fluffy white snow and she’s giving me a quizzical look. I find myself wishing I could explain to her what I see….
The CJBuzz 