I have mixed emotions about August. I feel this subtle shift from high summer to late summer much more poignantly than any other seasonal change. August reminds me of how quickly time passes, and I’m not quite ready to accept another year is approaching sooner rather than later. It is with great reluctance that I must let go of this favorite season, but it is also with great hope that I look forward to what comes next.
For most people, I imagine, this happens closer to January and New Year’s, but for me, August is the turning point in my calendar year. The month’s warm, golden rays mark the winding down of summer’s—and my—most precious moments: the unparalleled delight of biting into perfectly ripened peaches and tomatoes; unhurried evenings spent outdoors with friends or sitting quietly alone, with only the serenade of crickets and the twinkling of fireflies for company; and those occasional afternoons when thunderstorms roll in, only to make my small corner of the world that much brighter and greener when they pass.
So every year of late, August has been when I renew my resolution to not be anxious about time slipping by, but to simply enjoy each and every moment while it lasts. For the great beauty about August is that it also heralds the promise of crisp, cool days to come and, with them, a refreshing anticipation for what the next season of life will bring.
What about you? Do you have any season you’re particularly reluctant to see come to an end, or are you always ready for the changes each new time of year brings?
—Jordan Marxer, Creative Director/Editorial, Victoria magazine
I have loved Victoria magazine since I was a college student in the mid 80’s! Now I own and operate my own bed and breakfast in Michigan-a small getaway, but it’s mine to make beautiful!
Victoria had gone away for a while and I was given Southern Living as a substitute. Glad you are back!
I have collected Victoria Magazine for at least 20 years. As each season changes, I pull out several issues to revisit over a cup of tea, sometimes out on my porch, sometimes curled up in a favorite chair. This is a bit of me time when I savor the beauty of the season and take time to breathe.
I love the rhythm of all the seasons but especially hate to see autumn fade away even though I love the resting period of winter. I was born in autumn and love the color, the crisp air, the crackle of the leaves, sitting by the fireplace, apple cider, hayrides, watching the birds flock south in their v-pattern and just the whole idea of new pencils, the start of school and sweater-weather. I was born and raised in upstate New York and my grandparents had a 120-acre dairy farm. Autumn represents a period of breathing after the frenzy of getting the hay in, gardening and “putting up” the bounty. I am thankful for nature’s journey from one season to the next but especially hate to see the “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness” go!