The changing seasons are a profound symbol representing mourning, rejuvenation, and the inexorable passage of time. Quindlen uses the shifting natural world to reflect the characters’ emotional and psychological states as they navigate their sorrow and recovery journey, come to terms with their loss, and find a way to balance their enduring sadness even as they embrace new beginnings. Using the seasons as a symbolic framework, Quindlen emphasizes the cyclical nature of existence through death, rebirth, and new life. Annie’s death occurs in winter, a season that is universally synonymous with dying and emotional darkness. The cold, barren landscape mirrors the characters’ emotional emptiness as they struggle to cope with their loss, and the brutality of winter’s chill makes their loss all the more painful as they try to make sense of life without Annie. Icicles cling to the funeral flowers, and the pall of winter’s dull grey mirrors Bill and the family’s mood as they trudge through their days, just going through the motions to stay alive.

In the spring, the season of renewal and rebirth, the characters take steps toward healing and resilience. As the natural world begins to awaken from its winter slumber, the characters also start to find hope and a sense of renewal.