Fall still comes
It’s here again. Lovely Fall. A blessed respite from the heat and humidity. In a time when we ache for the change of so many things, the changing of seasons is a kind reminder that there is a time and purpose for everything under the sun — that suffering isn’t forever, that joy can come in the morning, and can follow mourning close behind.
Fall still comes.
During this season, especially, I am surrounded by favorite memories from my youth. Pep rallies, Friday night football games when we nearly froze to death in our Colorguard uniforms (back when there was still a real chill in the air), going to the fair after the game, ferris wheel rides on first dates, first kisses stolen on the Pirate Ship, late night trips to coffee houses with my girlfriends, scary movies at slumber parties, scavenger hunts and capture the flag with my church youth group, Fall festivals and craft booths that lined our parks and town square.
Yes, things have changed, and we might not have all of the same events we have had in years past, but there is still much to be enjoyed.
Fall still comes.
Welcome Fall. With all of your bright, warm hues. With your pumpkins, mums, friendly scarecrows, rustic decor, and “Happy Fall Y’all” signs gracing our front yards and porches. With your cinnamon scented brooms and pie scented candles. With your bonfires, hayrides, candied apples, and corn mazes. With your weekend trips to the mountains, road trips on scenic routes taking in the foliage. With your golden skies and apple scented breeze (even if it’s provided by the seasonal selections of body sprays and lotions) unless, of course, you happen to be in lovely Ellijay.
Friendly Fall, with her leaves the color of sunsets, still comes to us in spite of all the sad tidings of these troubled times. Fall is the beginning of the turning in time, when the green begins to bid us adieu. It is a quiet departure, as all that was just in bloom takes its leave and settles down in order to gather strength for the Spring.
Fall still comes and tells us to gather our own strength, to take pause and be settled in together.
This new season, just like youth, comes so suddenly and is gone too quickly it seems. One blink and it’s all over.
Here’s to making this one count and last a bit longer — even above the hustle and bustle of retailers and all of the premature Christmas displays. Let Fall have her day.
To say it’s been a harsh, strange, unsettling year would be such an understatement.
As we enter this new season, let’s relish it for all of its beauty and splendor. Let it serve us. It is the last great show of creation before the resting time of winter. It’s harvest season.
A time to commune and enjoy the fruits of our labor. Let’s dust off our blankets and cuddle close with our loved ones.
“Autumn is my season, dear. It is, after all, the season of the soul.” — Virginia Woolf