Dear Readers,
Halloween is over, but the trees have begun shedding their leaves to reveal eerie skeleton bodies. I once wrote an article for post- about struggling to enjoy other seasons just as much as autumn. It has to do with my love of being cozy, of being indoors, of spooky things, and—perhaps in largest part—of the colors on the trees. Even though I know they’re the same leaves, just reduced in chlorophyll, their transformed and multicolored versions always feel like special visitors. While they’re here, all manner of magical things can happen. So, it’s always hard to see them fall, and the satisfying crunch of them beneath my feet is bittersweet. They’re certainly not gone yet, but each day I feel myself taking inventory.
And yet, as I find every year, life doesn’t halt when the trees are bare. Pivotal moments and memories take place in winter, spring, and summer—some of them even wonderful. I can’t reverse-hibernate through the warm months to save my waking hours for my favorite season, and despite my current mourning, I know I wouldn’t want to. Each has its unique charms, and each is necessary. Counterintuitively, this realization helps me savor autumn all the more. Acceptance of what’s to come, knowing I’ll be okay no matter the season: This is how I let go of the urge to count the remaining leaves.
This week, our writers are also figuring how to be amidst change. In Feature, Dolma grows a personal historical archive, and Sasha confronts ambivalence about one messenger of the world’s present moment: The New York Times. In Narrative, making pasta for loved ones is a constant for Ana, and it takes an adrenaline-racing experience for AnnaLise to accept the birthdays to come. In Arts and Culture, Ann celebrates the link from past to present that is Minecraft, and, on a roll this week, Sasha links poetic legends Poe and Pitbull. In Lifestyle, Elaine adjusts to life not spent in constant dancing motion, and Sara dissects just a couple of moments from one morning. In addition, we have a crossword from Alayna full of friends from the farm, and in this week’s post-pourri, we have a comic strip from Selena where we encounter a few new pals!
It’s my last semester here at Brown. As I graduate in December, the end of autumn seems laden with greater significance this year. After this, the coming seasons are among the only things I know to expect. Even if the inevitable coatings of snow, spring allergies, and summer heat are not always preferred, they are at least familiar. All I can do is cling to their comforts as I proceed into the great unknowns of the future. That and, of course, read post-; I hope that you will do the same!
Finishing up here,
Daniella Coyle
Lifestyle Managing Editor
