Let Us Dance To The Rhythm Of The Seasons
One of the things I’ve come to enjoy most about North Idaho is that the way of life here still is rooted in seasonal rhythms.
The pace in North Idaho slows as the mercury drops.
For months now, the flow of tourists has gently waned as we moved away from summer into the soothing embrace of fall’s cool beauty and relative calm.
Soon though, heavy snows will arrive and winter will begin in earnest, forcing us to adjust our routine in ways that are both subtle and dramatic in a cycle that has provided seasonal guideposts for generations.
We will mount our snow tires and dig out snow shovels, conceding that the dash to the mailbox now will require boots and a heavy coat. The woods we casually hiked in shorts and tennis shoes now become the sole province of serious winter sportsmen and wildlife until spring arrives.
A myriad of smaller effects spread like ripples from a thrown pebble.
For urban dwellers, few of these changes manifest themselves anymore. These old rhythms become increasingly muted by the amenities of big-city life.
Winter in a big city means only a change in fashion for most of its residents. Many experience weather only during the one-minute walk between their cars and offices or the shopping mall.
Snow tires are rare, because a city’s snow crews can turn a huge snowfall into dry streets while its residents sleep, reducing a heavy snow to an abstract morning news report.
By contrast, a quick look around our area reveals new piles of split wood, plastic wrapped around fragile plants, cars bristling with snow tires, barrels of sand on steep hills, and snow fencing on rural highways.
Strangers offer to push us out of snowbanks and jump dead car batteries. Local gatherings such as the annual Thanksgiving Parade and the Coeur d’Alene Resort’s traditional lighting ceremonies demonstrate our celebratory approach to the season.
Perhaps more than anything else, winter brings with it a focus on things closer to home. The tendency to be indoors puts us closer in touch with loved ones than we were during busier summer months.
Shorter days mean less opportunity to be outside and the cold draws us indoors, where physical warmth mingles with the internal warmth of shared social experiences.
As the onset of winter stirs these internal rhythms, let us recognize them for what they are - connections to our core values and the things that have true meaning for us and future generations. Instead of resisting those rhythms, we should yield to the increased focus on the home front. We should be thankful we live where these seasonal cycles prevail.
This year, take a moment to ponder the true meaning of those rhythms as they reach across the years and remind you of what is truly important during the holidays.
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