I love that this story was told over a span of four years. It reminds me of the seasonal cycle... at first you have autumn, the beginnings of change and fear of the unknown, told primarily from Ephram and Andy's perspective; then we have winter, where a death has torn the Abbott's apart and they must each heal individually in order to come back as one and rebuild in the spring, where there is a sense of renewal and enlightenment. While each character may not be entirely healed from the scars of their past or current misfortunes, they never lose the will to keep living. I'm not sure how summer fits in, but it's a season of freedom, lightness, and adventure. At the end of Season 4, the characters haven't hung their towels up; they are simply about to embark on new adventures : )