January:

Snow has fallen. It sparkles in the sunlight, gleaming like diamonds. It hides the yellow-brown grass and the dry ground, creating a clean, white sheet, covering the old, awaiting the new. A perfect greeting to the New Year.

School will start soon; work will return; but everything seems fresh and ready. Last year’s trials and hardships are past. This year lies before us, and we must begin anew.

February:

A thaw has come. All is grey and dreary. Everything is laid bare that once was covered. Faults reappear; failings discourage; new resolutions are forgotten, baffled by worries and troubles. Life has fallen into routine, become monotonous.

I wonder how everything once seemed so full of brilliance and expectation. Will life always be so dull?

March:

As I tramped along the roadside, I saw tiny green shoots, popping up along the ground. They appeared only as little, sprightly dots among a sea of brown weeds, but they bring a faint glimmer of hope.

Has the earth finally awakened? Is spring finally come? I dare to hope again!

April:

Tulips line walkways; daisies cheer gardens, while the daffy-down-dillies brighten each corner. Occasional drizzles water the earth, so that green grass has once again begun to grow. Everyday is punctuated by the colors of orange, red, green, purple, and pink, the only ornaments that creation needs. A crisp new wind stirs abroad.

Diligence is renewed and tasks are set to with former briskness. Spring is in full swing.

May:

School is coming to a close. It’s the busiest time of this year, with parties to attend and projects to finish.

And there is more! The wind has changed! It is slow and warm, gently swaying tall grass and blowing drifting clouds across the open sky. The birds, too, sing in joyful chorus every morning; they feel the change. The sun has begun to rise earlier and to set later—creating glowing sunsets, often accented with fluffy clouds.

A time full of bustle and tranquility.

June:

Ahhhh! The lilacs are in full bloom and the clematis spreads shades of violet and magenta. A wonderful greeting for the scholars, for school is out.
A sense of freedom bestows itself on us now, and we are left lazily wondering what to do. From dusk til dawn we lie around reading novels, writing down fancies, and enjoying life. It all seems so pleasant at the moment, to get away from work for the time being.

Was life ever better? I don’t see how it could be.

July:

Green beans are plump and ready to eat; lettuce is crisp and crunchy, a good side dish for meals; tomatoes are ripe, bursting into juicy delight and ready to pick. Summer has set in at last. Yet the life of laziness seems to have worn off. We have gotten tired of doing nothing, nothing useful, at least, and we have begun to look for practical things to accomplish.

Vacation and leisure are good for a little while, but better still is to find work and to put to good use what talents we have. July seems to have brought life back to our limbs; our freedom prods us to do something worthwhile.

August:

Late summer flowers are all that is left; but they are enough to brighten each day. School is just about ready to begin—work to commence. A good break it has turned out to be, for we wasted but little time.

Look back on your summer: are you satisfied?

September:

It’s beginning to cool and the weather isn’t quite as nice as it was before. Clouds set in almost every night. Vacation is over—welcome autumn! There are no more frolics in the open air; most of the flowers are dead or dying and wilted. Now all seems so dismal. Reluctantly, scholars become scholars once again, trudging everyday to and from school.

Will Christmas never come? I don’t believe it ever will.

October:

The harvest is in—it gives us something to do. Picking squash and pumpkin, potatoes soft and sweet, and all is in peaceful harmony. But it rains. It pours. Wet. Wet. Wet.

Life is in a muddle—not busy, but nothing happening either.

November:

A carpet of red and orange is spread over the ground. The leaves have fallen off the trees, making for a bare sight along the horizon, but a warm light coming from below—golden leaves. Excitement waits in the air, a month before the best time of year. Days are getting shorter, yet they are filled with comings and goings.

Anticipation is seeping into the everyday routine and coloring our thoughts. The year is almost out!

December:

We’re here! Christmas is full round the bend! Enthusiasm buzzes in every corner where eager faces peep in and out. Spices and sweet aromas fill the air and bells ring all around. Songs sing the joy of a Savior born to save. The wooden manger scene stands at the window, with our LORD at the center, reminding us of all that we owe to him. The New Year is coming. This last year, with all its failings and trials, taught me so much more that I never knew—I’ve grown so much since the beginning of the year.

God has brought me through this year; surely he will guide me through the next!