Each week , we tell the story of English language words and expressions . On our program today , we will talk about seasons . In some places , there are four : winter , spring , summer and autumn . Many areas in Earth's northern hemisphere have just experienced a change of seasons -- from summer to autumn . Hours of daylight grow shorter , and temperatures drop . Nature is entering a quiet phase . Flowering plants stop producing flowers . Leaves growing on some trees change color , die and fall to the ground . Some animals become less active and hibernate during the winter months . Nature has its phases and so do we . Like seeds shooting signs of life through the soil , spring is a time of rebirth . If it were likened to a human life , spring is the time when we enter the world as innocent as a newborn baby . Then babies become toddlers . They learn the word “no ” and use it a lot . Bad behavior can be a problem during this period . No wonder it is often called the “Terrible Twos .” But other than this “terrible ” part , childhood is a magical time , or at least , it should be , when everything seems possible . However , those feelings of wonder are often dampened during a child's adolescence . The growing pains and angst of the teenage years can be a dark time , indeed . But then we become young adults . We try to make it on our own . For many people , their 20s and 30s are the prime of life . This is the time when they are at their personal best . But the prime of life can happen at any time . Some people peak really early . They hit their prime in high school or college . After that , it may be all downhill . He or she is filled with memories of the glory days – always reliving an earlier , happier time . Whenever you peak , we all begin to slow down a bit . As we age , we hit a phase that some people call midlife . In this phase we are busy working and possibly raising a family . Even though we are busy , we may feel that life has become predictable . So , this is when many people want to change things , a lot ! They may buy a really fast motorcycle , get a tattoo or take up a new and dangerous hobby -- like skydiving . But this passes and things calm down again as we enter the next phase – the autumn years . If spring is the season of being born , autumn is the season of dying -- or at least slowing down for the winter . Our autumn years is the period after we retire from work and start to slow down . Many people love this phase and enjoy their time in retirement . However , we have other terms that describe this latter part of life . You might hear them called the twilight years . For many , this could suggest that the “end is near .” So , perhaps a better expression is the golden years . This describes a time that is carefree and easy . Golden , you might say . You finally hit a phase where you don't have to care what other people think anymore . Perhaps this is why we sometimes call the autumn years , or golden years , a second childhood . We can live like a child again , hopefully , without a care in the world . Some people in their autumn years of life may have some regrets . But seriously , who wouldn't ? But as we say , you can't change the past . You can only look to the future … whatever stage of life you are in .