We can't force a season
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Is this the first day of Fall? Absolutely not. It’s still 95 degrees here in NC (and I know many of you live in places that are even hotter!).
But am I going to pretend it is Fall? Absolutely yes. Did I take a picture of the leaf that I’m believing is changing all the colors of Fall? You betcha I did!
My son and I were playing ‘Would you rather?’ the other day. Do you play that too? You give two choices and the other person has to pick what they would rather do. I asked him if he would rather have no summer or no winter. We both picked no summer and then got excited that the Fall would be extended to 4 months if we only had three seasons. He comes by it honest, folks.
I love Fall because of the cozy fires, the crisp air, the hundreds of cookies I make (and eat), the smores outside on the deck I make (and eat), the changing leaves. It’s also the beginning of a new school year for my kids and myself and all the rhythms that come with that. Just ask my husband how many times I make him come outside right before bedtime to smell the fresh air, feel the cooler air, and stare at the stars during the fall months. The answer would be a bajillion times.
I also love that time of year because it ushers in a new season. Growing up in the hot desert of Eastern New Mexico and then living lots of years in Texas, Fall meant that we finally got a reprieve from the heat. Now, ‘Fall’ in Texas or NM seemed to last 1.2 hours and then it was, BAM, winter. JK, kindof. Regardless, Fall is a season of quieting down for me.
Spring is different with the newness of life finally bursting through the earth. I love that too, for sure. But, the quieting of Fall is what I’m trying to lean into. It’s like the earth is tucking itself in for bed during fall. Sounds cozy, right? In a weird way, this quieting gives way to death in the winter time though. That quieting means that leaves drop and die and the earth prepares for the harshness of cold and ice and snow. So, it’s not a pretty quieting. It’s a harsh one.
But, then again, maybe it is a pretty quieting. Or rather a necessary quieting to make way for what is needed for a harder season (Winter) and then a newer season (Spring). Now I know all sorts of miracles and processes happen to the earth and trees during the wintertime. You just can’t see it happening. Fall in a real way prepares for that.
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