Have you ever been told how the seasons mirror the stages of life? That Autumn is like middle to old age and Winter is like death? As I was riding yesterday, it occurred to me that this isn't really a very good comparison. We were riding down a tree-lined country road with the beautiful hues of Fall all around while leaves were showering down coloring the air and road with yellows, oranges, and reds. It didn't seem like the end of anything to me. It seemed more like a celebration. Imagine all of nature celebrating another successful year of living. A year in which those trees grew and produced fruit. They survived! So now they array themselves most colorfully and rain down the beautiful leaves like confetti. Its a celebration! Then following all this display, they rest and await the warmth of the Spring to burst forth in another cycle of growth. The bare limbs and trunks we see in Winter and associate with death isn't death at all.