A long time ago I got tired of all the work I had to do. Changing seasons was hard and laborious. I decided to make four daughters, each would be named after their season and would have to take responsibility of changing seasons. From the snow I created Winter. From the flowers I created Spring. From the sand I created Summer and from the changing leaves I created Autumn. The four girls were identical quadruplets, the only thing telling them apart was their hair color. Winter with bleach blonde hair, almost snow white; Spring with strawberry blonde hair, the color of blooming blossoms; Summer with light brown hair, the color of sand and Autumn with fiery red hair, the color of the changing leaves. Each daughter took her responsibility very seriously. Each girl had the power to control her season and control the weather of her season, the animals (migrations for Autumn and Spring) and holidays. All was fine until one rebellious daughter decided that her season was superior to the others and caused havoc around the seasons.

This is their story.

“Autumn! Come on!” Winter calls to me.

I’m locked in my bathroom, staring at my reflection. I’m wearing a red mid thigh length dress with a flare skirt and black heels. In my hair there is a black headband with a leaf applique.

“Coming,” I call back.

Winter is helping me get ready for the Changing Ceremony which is in fifteen minutes. I push open my door and Winter applauds.

“What?” I ask self-consciously, tugging at the hem of my dress.

As usual Winter, herself, looks fantastic. Her snow white dress falls to her feet and there are sparkles all over, even in her hair.

“You look amazing!” Winter tells me. “Let’s go.”

We walk down the hallway and to the foyer. Summer is standing there with Spring. Summer is wearing a short, light pink dress with white heels and Spring is wearing a flowered dress that falls to her feet.

“Don’t you look pretty?” Summer says sarcastically.

“Yeah, you too,” I reply.

From inside the dining room we hear, “And presenting our current season, the wonderful, gorgeous, Summer!”

Summer walks into the dining room to thunderous applause. It’s weird, my sisters and I may be identical but Summer’s the “cute one.”

“Next we have our next season, the amazing, darling, Autumn!”

I step into the dining room to a meager amount of applause. Taking my seat next to Summer the announcer introduces Winter and Spring.

After a quick dinner, Mother Nature calls Summer and me to the stage.

“It’s been a wonderful three months of summer and now it’s time to switch to autumn. Let the Changing ceremony begin!” Mother Nature exclaims.

Summer and I clasp our hands together in front of us and chant, “Summer to Autumn, Autumn to Winter, Winter to Spring, Spring to Summer.”

I chant my own part, “I take Summer’s duties and I’ll fulfill them until Winter.” I wait for Summer to say her part.

“Summer!” I whisper. “It’s your turn!”

“No,” she says flatly, taking her hands from mine.

“What?” I ask, stunned.

“I said no. I don’t want to give you the season,” Summer says.

“But you have to!” I tell her.

“I don’t care. Everybody loves summer the best out of all the seasons. Kids don’t have to go to school, it’s warm and I’m in control. That is how the world should be,” she says smugly, crossing her arms over her chest.

“No, it’s not,” I say. “Each season plays a very important role in the year. If you take out winter, spring and autumn there will be drastic changes.”

“Like what?” Summer crosses her arms over her chest.

“Umm. . . well, what about the holidays? You can’t have Christmas without snow,” I struggle for an answer.

“So?” She says. “People can deal.”

“Summer, life doesn’t work that way,” Winter stands up and joins us onstage with Spring behind her. “If you don’t give the season to Autumn you’ll either go crazy or die with all the work you’ll have to do. Mother Nature gave us each a season because she needed a break and couldn’t do all the work that has to be done for each season.”

“Can’t you see that I don’t care? I can do it all on my own! I’m smart and I’ll figure it out!” Summer shouts at us.

“But you won’t figure it all out,” Spring says in her soft voice. “You’ll need a break and you’ll need help from us, your sisters. I know that it’s hard and I don’t like giving up my season and I bet our other sisters don’t want to either, but we have to.”

“No! I won’t need a break!” Summer shouts, stamping her foot angrily.

“Why?” Winter is starting to get angry, too.

Summer stares at her shocked at first but then she regains her confidence. “Because I’m strong! Stronger than all of you!” Her response is weak, with not enough evidence.

“You think so?” I ask. “You really think that you’re stronger than Winter, Spring and me? Well guess what, you’re not. Spring and I have the hardest jobs. We have drastic weather changes. Winter has to make sure that it doesn’t get too cold or else people will die and she has Christmas to worry about.” I’m yelling now. “All you have to do is sit back and relax!”

“That’s so not true!” Summer looks with disgust. “You know what happens when it gets too hot? People die. I have to make sure that nobody dies, too!”

“So you’re strong. We’re all strong,” Spring says timidly.

“But that doesn’t mean you deserve the whole year,” Winter helps Spring out. “The year is split evenly between the four of us. We each have our own responsibility. Would you let Spring, Autumn and me teach you how to do our seasons, if in fact, you took over? No you’re too stubborn and you’d try to work it out yourself. But guess what, it wouldn’t work. You’d end up screwing up and then what would happen? Nothing. Nothing would happen. The people would get tired of an everlasting summer. Kids would actually want the leaves to fall and the snow to come. Christmas would be boring without snowball fights and snowmen.”

Everybody is staring at Winter. She’s known for not saying much. “You’re strong enough to take care of the summer season but you also need rest. Trust me.”

The room is silent, waiting for Summer’s response. Summer is staring at Winter. Winter has always kind of been the leader of the four of us.

“Are you sure?” Summer finally asks.

Winter sighs, “Yes, I am.”

“Alright,” Summer says reluctantly.

She steps forward and takes my outstretched hands. She says her part of the chant and we finish together. A blinding white light, that I’m used to, flashes and I have the burden of a season on my shoulders, but it’s not a bad burden. It’s like that feeling you get when you help somebody do something they can’t do, a feeling of accomplishment. Winter and Spring are standing off to the side and now all the people are looking at me and Summer, expecting something. I move toward Summer and open my mouth to say something but she beats me to it.

“Thanks,” she whispers. “Thanks for helping me choose the right path,” she says a bit louder to our other sisters.

“You’re welcome,” Spring says for all of us.

I lean towards Summer and hug her. Our sisters join us and we stand there, up on the stage, hugging. A weak applause starts and it builds, until every single person in the room is clapping as hard as they can. Plus more. My sisters and I break apart.

And that’s how the world was saved from a never ending summer. Sisterly wisdom and love both played a part. Common sense did too. I was so proud of my girls. Their story will forever be remembered and they will always have a place in my heart.

Yours Truly,

Mother Nature