Why Seasonal Change Still Tugs at Us Long After Childhood
Ahh. Summer is over, and fall is attempting to appear. However, with global warming, fall may be delayed as the heat continues to wrap around the block. The end of summer and the return to school mark a cycle that repeats annually, but I never seem to be ready for the change. I am no longer a school student, so what does it matter? I work the same schedule in summer, fall, winter, and spring, so what does it matter? Ah, but it does matter. It matters a great deal. The fact that school started so young and went on for decades explains why my body and brain react to this transition every year.
Going back to school is going back to order, serious endeavors, new and older kids, new adults in charge, expectations of performance, new and old social endeavors, challenges in and out of the classroom. We could do away with school someday. Each year, a smart chip will be embedded in your brain, and it will have everything you need for the year ahead. Then the school building will remain empty year-round. Perhaps they’ll tear it down or turn it into a rec center with fun things to do, like playing games, weaving cloth, or painting murals.
I so want to hang onto summer, when you can ride a bike, splash in the pool, put your toes in the sand, build sandcastles, read a book of your choice, or laze around. Will summer ever last?
Let go; I must. The days will shorten. The morning will be dark. The season will change.
Don’t you see how hard letting go is?
We are not trained for this. We are built to hang on. Think about it. We are born hanging on! When we learn to ride a bike or pump a swing, our parents are yelling, “Hang on.” Come on! Whose idea was this? What can I salvage from that sweet summer and carry with me?
Oh! I have the shells that we collected along the beach. Some of them are quite interesting. I particularly like the summers when a big storm has hit the shore, as it brings all kinds of creatures and shells to the beach. Big ones and small ones that would never find their way to the shore in any other way. A basket in the hallway is filled with these treasures. A conch shell the size of my hand. A lustrous black piece, fragile and veined with silver, sits on the edge of the basket. A couple of light pink beauties sit on top of the others, as they clamor for center stage. Then there is the piece of driftwood on the porch. We hauled that back on the plane, believe it or not. My favorite is the rock shaped like a slice of pie with an egg-crate top, as though it held dinosaur eggs a billion years ago. I hauled that one out of Lake Michigan in the late summer.
Looks like I do not have to let go of summer, after all!
Explore related reflections:
The Right Mindset blog
Seasonal reflections
Therapeutic approaches
Learn more from trusted nature and seasonal‑living resources:
Farmer’s Almanac – Seasonal Living
Rock Creek Park – National Park Service
National Weather Service
If you are navigating seasonal transitions, emotional shifts, or the bittersweet rhythm of change, therapy can offer grounding and clarity. Learn more about individual therapy in Maryland and DC or explore therapeutic approaches that support insight, resilience, and meaningful growth.
By Dr. Gloria K Vanderhorst