Transition Months

So I was supposed to have lunch Tuesday with the pastor from my "Sunday" church (the evangelical one), and got stood up.  :(  And not for the first time... that's twice now!  

I'm getting a complex.  I mean, when your pastor blows off your lunch date - you're really on the outs with God, man. You got troubles big time.  Like that Moby song "Natural Blues."

:)

But it was a beautiful day - one of those gorgeous mid-September days with a cloudless sky in a rich blue hue, the sun warming things into the 70s, gentle breeze on your face... marvelous.  You can get those same days in mid-June, too.  I remember one in particular that produced a blog entry... about happiness, I think.  

So I enjoyed the walk to the restaurant by way of the library, and took the time I spent waiting at Breuggers' Bagels to kick around in my mind the symmetry between mid-September days and mid-June days.

And here's what I came up with.  Here's my theory about it.  There is a symmetry to the year if you look at it right.  I think that our seasons are each two months long, with transition months in between.

Take Summer (...please!), as an example.  Summer proper is really July & August.  Really.  That's Summer as we know it.  Hot, dry, long days, everything growing.  Daytime temps around 80-85.

September is a transition month.  Some Summer days, some Fall days.  Fruit ripening.  An in-betweener month that lets us all adjust.  

October and November is your classic Autumn.  Cool days, some rain, a frost or two.  Bugs leave.  Things finish up growing and stop, plus change in color and texture.  Daytime temps around 50.

December is a transition month.  Getting chilly now, get that showthrower out and ready, get the leaves off the lawn, gardens tidy.  It can snow anytime.

January and February - this is the heart of Winter.  Long nights & short days.  Dark, scudding, low and loaded grey clouds or bright, white, frigid, blinding snowshine.  Daytime temps around 15-20 degrees.

March is a transition month.  You are sick of Winter by this time and March gives you hope, cuts you some slack.  Things melt, but freeze again.

April and May is Spring.  Not yet warm, but thawing nicely.  Buds come up, birds show up, snow disappears.  You can till the soil and fertilize.  Tune up that lawnmower.  Daytime temps are around 50, just like Fall.

June is a transition month.  You dig out the golf clubs, the tennis racket, buy some new sandals, get that summer pedicure.  Leaves are greening up!

See what I mean?  Pairs of months, with transitions.  

And if you split the pairs, you get the best of each season.  August 1 is the height of Summer, February 1 is the depth of Winter.  November 1 and May 1 are quintessential Fall and Spring, respectively.  Yes?

Now that we've established the seasonal patterns, here comes my usual comparison to the seasons of life.  ;)  You knew this was coming, didn't you?

Let's take a full human lifetime and compress it into one year.  How does it fit with the seasons?  

Well, first, we have to pick a length of life.  I like 84.  It divides nicely into 12 cycles of 7 years each.  Seven and twelve are very biblical numbers of fullness and completeness.  

Plus, when you think of someone living a full life, you think "into their eighties."  And it's what the Scriptures teach, besides.  Look up Psalm 90:10 and you'll see what I mean.

So, figuring that life ends in the cold dark of Winter, and new life begins in Spring... we'll peg birth at March 1 and death at Feb 28.  With that as our structure, here's how the cycles work out:

Birth - 7:  March - transition.  By age 7 you know how to feed, wash and clothe yourself, read and write, have a conversation, be polite.  You're ready to learn.

7 - 21:     April & May - Spring!  The Learning Years.  You figure out life and develop some idea of how you want to live it.  By the end, you're ready to launch (hopefully.)

21 - 28:   June - transition.  You are moving from (relatively) carefree youth to fully functional adulthood.  You are leaving kid stuff behind.  Let's get serious here!  :)

28 - 42:   July & August - Summer!  The Building Years.  You produce stuff (like children & money), you work hard and play hard.  You have energy and you use it.

42 - 49:   September - transition.  You take stock of what you've learned from Summer and figure out how you want to spend the second half of life.  Yikes!  Crisis time!

49 - 63:   October & November - Autumn!  The Consolidating Years.  You don't work or play as hard - you do the "right" work, and play "smart."  Empty that nest!  Bring in the harvest!

63 - 70:   December - transition.  You move from working full time to something sustainable for the coming Winter.  You check your pantry (asset portfolio, 401K, pension) for supplies.  :)

70 - 84:   January & February - Winter!  The Legacy Years.  You've finally figured out what life is all about, and share that wisdom with those starting out (if they choose to listen to you...)  And, get ready for another transition, to Spring again, only... on the other side.

Makes sense to me.  :)

And it puts me squarely in mid-October.  Nice.  I love that time of year.  :)  It's beautiful.

What month are you in?