Image: Wellesley Park, Toronto

This week’s column should be about three good aspects of your favourite season, but I’ve already written plenty about why I love fall. Instead, I’d like to share one good aspect of each season.

Spring: One good thing about spring is the return of our senses. The black, white, and grey of winter give way to a wide range of colours, and the sounds of animals and human activity return. Everything smells fresh and the scents of various plants are in the air. You can stop hiding and protecting yourself from the weather and start feeling it again. In countries where winter is harsh, like Canada, people’s senses tend to shut down for several months, but in spring, all the colours and sounds and smells return and our minds are woken up, as if from a long sleep. 

Summer: I have many houseplants, and the majority of them are tropical plants that like sunlight and warmth. Although this might sound strange, I feel a kind of emotional connection to my plants. I feel happy when they are flowering and growing new leaves, and I get worried when they look unhappy and start losing leaves. In general, my plants seem much happier in summer, when they get more light, warmth, and moisture. Seeing happy, healthy plants in the summer, both indoors and outdoors, makes me happy, too. This is one thing I like about summer! 

Fall: Fall is my favourite season, so of course I can think of many good things about this season! However, one that I’ve never mentioned before is the little boost in energy and motivation to go somewhere and do something to enjoy nature and the nice weather before winter arrives. Every fall I feel a strong urge to get out and visit some places that I haven’t been in a while or places that I’ve been putting off visiting. Fall is like a last call for travel and outdoor activities. I think to myself “Let’s go to the Toronto Islands before the ferry service ends! Let’s go to High Park before all the leaves are gone! Let’s take the train to Port Credit and have lunch outside before patio season is over!”