by Nancy Casey
Seasons come and seasons go. They don’t stick around. But they do return.
Today in your writing, you will make up names for some of the seasons that you are currently experiencing. You will base those names on activities typical of that season.
While you think about seasons and the activities that come with them, set up your page. Draw a line at the top where the title will go. Mark off a space where you can doodle or draw if you like. Some people like to draw and decorate a frame around the whole page.
Winter, spring, summer and fall probably pop into your mind at the mention of seasons. But not all seasons are made of weather. Any circumstance that arrives, goes away, and then comes back some time later constitutes a season.
Holiday season… Birthday season… Mosquito season… SAD season… Migraine season… Cramps season… Vacation season… Busy season… Worry season…
Some seasons might be so short and ordinary we can experience several in a day. (Cooking season… Doomscrolling season… Toothbrushing season.) Other seasons, such as a global pandemic season, seem far too long and most of us hope never to experience one again. Grief seasons are like that, too.
Think about a season you are experiencing now. What does it call on you to do? Give it a name based on a normal activity for that season. The best names have hyphens in them, because they let you use several words to describe that season’s activity. Here are some examples:
Think-before-you-speak season… Clean-the-house season… Put-away-the-garden-tools season… Invent-pep-talks-season… Lug-dirty-clothes-to-the-laundromat season… Enjoy-the-view-from-the-window season… Take-tiny-little-baby-steps-so-I-don’t-slip-on-the-sidewalk season…
Explain something about the season you have named. Are you in the beginning, the middle, or the end of it? Words like when or where might help you add details. Other useful words could be until or because or which is the opposite of. You could also explain why you do or don’t like this season. You can write down why you know the season won’t last forever.
After you have given a name to one season and described it a little bit, go on to another one, and another, until you have filled a page with some descriptions of the particular seasons you are passing through at this time.
If you can’t decide what to write about, get your pen started by drawing or doodling. The motion slows your thoughts and helps you notice them better. As soon as an idea for writing comes to you, start putting down some words.
When the page is full, go back over your work. Make small changes if you want to. Add more decoration if there is room. Think up a title.
Write the title at the top of the page. Write the date on it too, along with a signature or your initials.
Here is an example of what someone could write.
You can share your work by posting it as a comment below. You can type it in, or take a photo of it and upload the image.
Nancy Casey has lived in Latah County for many years. You can find more of her work here. It’s not possible to have an in-person Write-For-You class at the Recovery Center at this time, but if you are interested in writing coaching, contact Nancy or the Latah Recovery Center.
Latah Recovery Community Center, Inc. 