IT IS GOOD TO BE HOT IN THE SUMMER AND IT IS GOOD TO BE SAD IN THE FALL

The leaves are dying and songs are folksy. The leaves are dying so they fall and wilt but before that they are magnificent. It is no use being sad in the winter because it’s too cold and dark to let sadness win and you should instead decide to be cozy. You must jump in the snow and then retreat to warmth. But fall is golden and yearning and you have to live in the moment in fall because all that lies ahead is cold dark winter. I cried as soon as fall started because it meant soon fall would have to end. I did literally tear up walking past a tree and looking at the red leaves glistening in the yellow light and blowing in the crisp crisp air. When I say it is good to be sad in the fall, I mean both sad (aesthetically pleasing reading a book in the park) and sad (oh god why am I so sad?). It’s a fallacy I think that you can have one without the other. I wonder if the leaves are sad as they fall or if they’re having fun and they know they’ll come back. None of us come back quite the same every spring, isn’t that awesome? Fall is always taken for granted, I think most transitionary seasons are. You’re missing out if you don’t let yourself be sad in the fall! You’d be amazed how happy you get when you let yourself be sad.

Sometimes it feels silly to talk about being sad, though I do also love being silly. It makes people sad to think of themselves as sad, even after the amazing PR job Inside Out did for sadness. You are never the saddest person on the streetcar. And that’s not a sad thing! Nobody is the saddest person on the streetcar!

We need sadness like the seasons need fall. If you don’t have fall where you are I think it is good to be sad in the rainy season. Or maybe in the mornings (there is always a time when it is good to be sad). Sorry if you were planning to push down your feelings, you’ll have to save that for summer. Right now, while there’s still time, let them fall out of you!

Here is a little poem if you have a fall birthday (all the cool kids do).

Being heartbroken in the summer is an absolute bummer

The silver lining,

After you’ve done all that good whining,

is

Come reflective fall

You think maybe that’s all.

I did what it takes, and just in time

To focus on layers and leaves and cakes

Songs of the Season:

It’s good to be hot in the summer by Annie DiRusso

Girls Talk (cover) by Tegan and Sara

It’s My Party by Lesley Gore