When the year began, the trees looked dead. They weren’t
dead, of course, but with their bare branches stretching out against the grey,
sunless sky, they sure looked like it. By January, everyone was done with the
holiday season, and the noticeable lack of cheery lights and jingly music made
everything look dull in comparison. It was like the magic of Christmas had
disappeared overnight, forcing us back into our dreary, everyday lives. “You
had your fun,” the season mocked. “Now, back to work!”
When
the kids shed their winter coats, the sun was warmer. The snow melted away as
the rain returned, growing the grass greener and sprouting flowers up between
the cracks in the pavement. The trees regained their livelihood, and the
seasons bled together as the temperature rose. The sun stayed up longer, and campfires
began to dot the town, keeping the same fiery light alive long into the night.
When
the school bells rang once more, the seasons were distinct again. The air was
brisker, the wind sharper, cutting through sweaters like a paper edge through
skin. Footsteps crinkled and cracked as boots shifted through beds of fallen
leaves, the wind picking them up and blowing them across the pavement.
And as
the year came to a close, it looked about the same as it had at the start, and
entirely different. A certain excitement buzzed in the air, held tight with
jingle bells and happy tunes. Lights twinkled in the sky, flickering and
shimmering like artificial stars. It felt like magic, supercharged by a large
bearded man and held strong by the smiles of children on Christmas morning.
~~
Until later,
- Justyne
