Hello Fall!

Hello Fall!

The change of seasons is knocking on our doors.  I don't think I will answer that knock.

Everyone I know loves fall.  They love the crisp air and the cooler temperatures.  Parents probably love  it more than the rest of us because their offspring are back to a regular routine.  Nights around the kitchen table trying to get assignments completed before bedtime.  Already looking forward to the first holiday weekend.  Pumpkins reach their fullest growth.  Apples cover apple trees.  Fields are harvested.  High school and college football begins again in small towns and cities across our country.  Yes, things change with the coming of fall.

Ok--I enjoy fall, too.  I especially enjoy the cool nights and days.  Making fried apple pies from the our apple tree is a delight.  Tomatoes are ripe and delicious.  The air has a certain feel to it, and the sun is low in the sky.  Just last evening we built a fire in our outdoor fireplace and sat listening to evening  sounds.  Love a crackling fire.  Those crackling fires are perfect for smores.

But, flowers cease blooming, grass turns brown, leaves begin leaving their home on trees.  No matter how much I water or fertilize, plants seem to know that it is time to rest.  I suppose it is because the ground becomes cooler and the sun less brillant.  Whatever the reasons, the change turns my little space on the planet into something quite different from spring and summer.  Yes, I know that spring and summer will return but at the moment, they seem so far away.

Everything that has life passes through seasons.  Conception, birth, youth, teen, adult, older adult, the great beyond are all part of the cycle of our lives.  Each is important for the growth it brings.  All animals experience this cycle, too.  Annuals share beauty for one season.  Their life span is short but oh, the glory they bring.  It is time for harvesting beans and corn in my area of the world.  Soon the plants will be gone, and the soil will rest waiting for the next planting/harvest.

Perhaps fall and winter offer the opportunity for renewal.  Maybe these seasons offer us time to reflect on the important elements in our lives.  As we slow down from outside activities and turn our attention to inside pursuits,  our minds and souls have time to refresh.  Projects that we set aside for colder weather can now be completed--or not.  Darkness arrives earlier.  It is time to light candles at the dinner table.  Blankets make their way into daily living activies.  We cozy up around the fireplace or the television.

When that knock arrives, there is no other option but to open the door.  Actually, let's swing the door wide open and embrance the changes around us.  Let's invite friends over for cider and pie.  Let's walk among the crunching leaves.  Let's bring in the apples and make pies.  Let's prepare our plant beds for spring.  Let's be grateful that we are here to enjoy one more change of seasons.  And let us be thankful.

I hear you knocking--and you can come in!