Letters to November - 10.11.14

Dear November

I saw something on my walk this morning that made me think of you.  It wasn't anything particularly extraordinary.  But it did make me think about what I expect of you, November.

Not the greatest of photo quality - I blame this on the light at 6:50am this morning.  Retouched on my iPhone.

 Seeing birds swimming along the canal is not a strange thing, but at this time of year?  It seemed very strange.  You don’t see many birds at this time of year.  I carried on walking after I took the picture and I continued to wonder for some time – most of the day actually – about why people dislike winter so much. 

Since last year, when my Gran died, I've looked ahead on the calendar, dreading November.  I can’t help it and I don’t mean to, but I do.  It’s less than two weeks away and I can’t help but count the days.  So for me, November, you’re a herald of death.  I ruminated on that thought as I was walking to work; maybe that’s why so many people don’t like winter as a season.

I walked on a little way.  I thought about what happens in December, Christmas.  Another event that it’s more and more difficult to get excited about the older I get.  I’m going to try for once this year.  I remembered that Christmas is a celebration of birth for Christians, and for pagans, it was the celebration of the on-coming spring.  It occurred to me whilst I was thinking about this that maybe it isn’t the idea of Death that seems to close in winter; the dark skies, the early evening and nights, the trees shedding leaves and hibernation; it’s the lack of life we seem to see that makes it so difficult.

But at lunch time, I saw a wasp.  And another thought came to me.  It’s not that everything is dying or hiding its life for us to see.  It’s almost like Nature has a rest during the winter for all the hard work its done in Spring and Summer that we’re so keen to celebrate and enjoy.

More than that, there is a lot of life to see in winter.  Grown men and women turn back in to children at the first sight of snow!  Children play in the snow, make snow angels and snowmen ignoring the inevitable melting when it rains.  And then I got thinking about Christmas, ignoring all the expense and more miserable aspects of being a grown up at this time of year.  Who really feels more alive in this world than when they’re celebrating something with their friends and family? 

Sorry for the wandery thought trail today, November.  I've been in a sombre mood today and but I’ve ended the day on happier thoughts than I started.  I call that progress.