Learning to embrace the seasons

Sir, – I’ve been hearing the phrase “forest bathing” a lot lately, as if it were something totally new but a lot of us been doing it for a long time, ie going for a walk in the woods.

I can be a bit nonplussed by these phrases sometimes but maybe they are no bad thing as they can put into words why we feel so good after being out and about in nature. The first week of dark evenings has come upon us suddenly and we can have a tendency to resist the season. With age, I’ve learned to stop resisting, and instead try to go with the natural flow and ebb of each season. Years ago, people had no choice but to live by nature, as the natural flow of darkness and light controlled their day to day life. They rose early in summer and worked until darkness. Winter, on the other hand, meant their working day was shorter. They had to be guided by light as there was no electricity. When night came, work stopped and as darkness set in everything became quieter and still allowing people to do likewise. Now, it wasn’t by any means ideal, but I do like to think there’s a message in there somewhere.

As the busy rush of summer is over and autumn has passed, I’m going to look forward to the wisdom that winter has in store for me. As nature slows down, the earth truly takes on another beauty as nature lets go and rests. Like the gathering of the harvest, I’m going to prepare for the changes ahead. I’m going to allow myself naturally slow down as the evenings shorten, helping me to flow into the stillness of winter. I will draw on my own resources to use for the winter ahead. Resources like reading, writing, maybe a bit of art, or whatever takes my fancy, such as an occasional glass of wine. Indeed, anything that helps me flow with ease through the hibernation of winter. The rhythms of nature are God given and free. They weave into each other as sure as night follows day, showing us that each phase of our lives should happen naturally and gracefully. Take them for the gift they are, learn from them, and see what happens. – Yours, etc,

BERNIE KIRWAN,