On Living Seasonally

By: Olivia Chapman

Time passes rapidly—it’s a common complaint. So rapidly, in fact, it can often feel like time itself is in a rush, one month hurrying into the next. We wish for warm weather when it is snowing, and a cooler climate when the sun beats down. Grounding your thoughts and actions in the present moment contributes to an unhurried and attentive manner of living: a manner of living not so agitated about change. Living seasonally provides a space to be thankful for the Earth’s cycles, taking note of the gifts each one provides. Spring has the connotation of rebirth and starting again, and there are several areas of our lives that benefit from applying this energy and adhering to the gifts of spring.

When it comes to living seasonally, food is perhaps the first component that comes to mind. Eating in accordance with the season allows us to focus on the provision of God’s creation for our physical needs. Eating seasonally is also a lesson in patience. Before Kroger and Meijer and Whole Foods, people had to be patient with their fruits and vegetables. They did not have the ability to purchase a quart of imported strawberries in the dead of winter; they had to wait to pluck them by the bucket load in the summertime. And how much sweeter that strawberry must have been! I know that most of us do not buy our food from farmer’s markets exclusively, but eating with the season is still achievable. At the turn of each season, I make a physical list of all the fruits and vegetables being harvested at that time. Then, I meal plan and grocery shop according to that list. This simple practice pulls my attention to the present and promotes a holistic living in tune with the land.

Springtime is full of fervor and life. It is the season of rebirth—when skeletal trees explode into bloom, and stiff, dead grass transforms into a brilliant green. Channeling this creation during spring is an excellent way to live according to the season. 

We are creative beings; we birth new ideas frequently. I challenge you this spring to devote special attention to bringing a new idea to life. Create something beautiful, just like the world around you. For those of you who have neither the time nor talent to, say, watercolor a landscape, there are plenty of options for you. Host a dinner party and design a tablescape; invent a new cocktail for you and a friend, and go on a happy hour walk; thrift some frames, and display your photos on a gallery wall; plant a miniature herb garden. Creativity can be beautifully expressed with paintbrush and pen, but it is not limited by them.

I believe that clichés are born from bits of wisdom, and “spring cleaning” is an excellent example. As the world wakes up, people are inspired to dust their kitchens, donate a bin of clothes, and throw their bedsheets in the laundry. Windows and doors are flung open, an invitation to spring to float indoors and dispel the darkness of winter. We feel inspired to clean our homes because we want to give the season a clean slate. Psychologically, many of us desire a state of cleanliness and order amidst change, much like the satisfaction we feel on the first of January, or when flipping our calendars to a new month’s image. Harness the ardor of spring, and tick off some chores in your home you’ve been meaning to complete. Remember to leave doors ajar, and finish it off with some tulips.

Spring is a season of contagious energy. You can see it in the blooming flowers, hear it in the birds’ lilting song, and feel it in the warm breeze. Employ that energy, and let it rejuvenate you to complete all the tasks you have been procrastinating and letting fester in your mind; tasks you only seem to remember when your head hits the pillow, forcing you to set yet another reminder on your phone before drifting off to sleep, doomed to press “ignore” when “Return Amazon package!!!” pops onto your screen for the fourth time that month. Tying up the laundry list of loose ends frees up an unbelievable amount of mental space, space that is precious to college students especially. So, schedule the doctor’s appointment, return the package, send the email, and for goodness sake, plan the coffee date that you have been rescheduling for two months.

Winter is a time of hibernation and rest. It is easy to treat the outdoors as an opponent during the winter—the biting wind blows us from warm homes to frosty cars, and morning walks become an activity of the past. We shelter ourselves from the cold, opting to stay beneath blankets and accept the day’s end at four o’clock when the sun sets. Springtime is dropping shoulders from ears, allowing yourself to thaw with the atmosphere. At the turn of the season, it is time to shake the dust off your bones and go for a run. Walk to the gym and finally begin the weight-lifting regimen you have saved on Instagram while scrolling from the warmth of your bed in January. Use the energy and rejuvenation of the season to challenge yourself physically after long months of rest.

Unsurprisingly, the transition from winter to spring is a topic poets have attempted to capture in verse many a time. As you embark upon the journey to live seasonally, and practice mindfulness in a noisy world, consider these words from a Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem:

All Nature seems at work. Slugs leave their lair—

The bees are stirring—birds are on the wing— 

And Winter slumbering in the open air, 

Wears on his smiling face a dream of Spring!

Olivia Chapman | ‘24

I live in the historic district of Richmond, VA. I enjoy walks in and around my neighborhood, cooking, reading, and thrifting. I consider exploring restaurants a hobby and love finding new spots. I’m improving my green thumb and put a fair amount of energy keeping my plants thriving. I also enjoy hosting dinner parties and such, and am usually planning my next event.

Email: oliviarose@summersetmarine.com 

Phone: 262-949-5844