It is that time of the year again. My absolute favourite. There where the end of summer and the beginning of autumn collide. This is a whole season of itself here in the north. It starts in the third week of August and can last all the way up to the beginning of October. A special atmosphere that you find only here, in Northern Europe. It lingers in the air, waking me up from the summer slumber.
It is the time of the year where all goes faster and slower at the same time. The clock is ticking fast now that summer is almost over. School has started, working life has presumed. These days can feel even faster for those who feel like they haven’t had a real summer. Being so extraordinary and peculiar as it was. Restricting even.
Suddenly time is streaming around us, like a rapid in the river. Maybe it feels smothering, like a flower who has been stuck under too much snow this summer, unable to bloom and now having to wait another whole winter.
But then again, maybe you had the summer of your life. Maybe you are still reminiscing about it. Caring this afterglow with you, keeping you warm while the first cold winds appear. This summer gave us something new. While some doors closed, others opened. Things we may had forgotten, things we unconsciously dreamt about. It can feel like it goes all downhill from here. Like being on a waterslide into the darkness, with nothing to hold on to. It is just a matter of time before the arms of winter catch us, to keep hold for what seems like forever until the light appears again.
This golden season gives me a perfect metaphor. For me, it’s the season of surrendering. Of letting go. Of trusting. Just like nature has waited to show her greatest beauty until she is ready to die. Surrendering to life, to yourself, will show you your potential, your magnificent grace. As if it has to get a little darker first, before the magic can appear.
It is the season of the wild berries. Of living slow. While it feels as if precious summer time is slipping through our fingers, the people of the north have mastered the art of living slow. Living in the moment, particularly in this time of the year. Cherishing every single moment. Going on those treasures-of-nature-hunts with the whole family. Piking the fruits and sharing meals.
It is the season of the returning sunsets. Those that set everything on fire. At the same time, the northern lights appear again. It is the season of light. Oh, that light! Is there anything prettier than the light during this time of the year?
It is the season of contrasts. Everything goes faster and slower at the same time. The fire in the sky and the gold in the leaves is accompanied by that particular and subtle ice-cold breeze.
The air feels clearer. Breathing goes deeper and slower this time of the year. At the same time my heart beats faster. Faster in anticipation of the surrender. Surrender to the winter, ready to die together with nature. Ready to inevitably be born again.
Texti: Ellen Wild