Addicting Autumn

Addicting Autumn

Autumn can be addicting. You may act as though Autumn is just another month, but it calls to you. “Come, marvel at my colors, cavort in my leaves. Come, dance in my rain, surrender to my mist. Come, savor my petrichor, and sniff my pumpkins. Come and enjoy my season.

You walk around amid rain and changing leaves, amid cooling temperatures and lengthening days. The air is invigorating, the wind crisp. You leave your home in the dusky morning, return with the setting sun. And as the leaves begin to fall, you watch… fascinated… waiting for one to fall at your feet, or on you; as though it was the leaf’s choice, as thought it had moved there on its own, just to get your attention.

Autumn is claiming you. Calling you to pay attention. Now, it is saying; now is the time to let go of things no longer necessary to prepare yourself for the new things awaiting you. Clear out the cobwebs and debris in your life. Make space for the new and improved.

Many people find Autumn an unnecessary season. But I love it. Sometimes it's a comfort just knowing Autumn is around the corner. I marvel at her colors, rejoice in her fruits, even bask in her constantly changing moods. Ah, the delights of Autumn - it reminds me that nothing stays the same, nor should it. It reminds me that I am constantly changing, growing, transforming - inevitably as well as by choice. It helps me when others or things change unexpectedly. I say, "ah, this is their Autumn”, and I remember and understand.

Why do I love Autumn so much? People constantly ask me that question? I have no short, definitive answer. It’s like asking why I love? Because I do. Autumn, has changed me, is the season of change for my life, And Autumn, if you let it, will change your life too.

Loving Winter and Snow

"Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark on a sentimental journey, 

and enjoy every idle hour."

-- John Boswell --

I have been looking back over some of my blogs and I am surprised I have not written about snow, especially since we've had a lot this winter. Especially since I love winter... and snow - the excitement of the first snow, the beauty of freshly fallen snow, the bite of winter's chill, the multiple opportunities and ways to snuggle.

I have thought about my love of winter since most people I know think love of winter is crazy. What I know is this - I love all seasons; each brings something new to the pot. As each season ends and a new one begins, we learn to let go of the past and to embrace the possibilities the future has in store for us. We learn that life is a cycle; that though we may go through similar experiences in life, each one has it's own twists and turns, each one sees us in a different place and so we show up different. It's like that expression - "no man ever steps in the same river twice".  Each season brings changes we get to choose to work with. So having different seasons is good.

Winter, though.... winter brings with it challenges that the other months don't. It rains, snows, sleets, and hails. It brings icy conditions, slippery roads and streets, frost bite, and below freezing wind chill factors. But winter also means warm coats to snuggle into, thick blankets and sort comforters to burrow into, and fuzzy scarfs and boots to slip into. Winter means hot chocolate with marshmallows, Christmas, New Years Eve , and Valentine's Day. Winter means fireside chats, cozy dinners with friends, and long, late-night phone calls. And have you ever noticed - people seem nicer, kinder, and more aware of others during the colder winter months.

Winter is a chance, an excuse to cuddle, to snuggle, to stay inside and get closer, to become more intimate, and more connected. Winter gives you more opportunities to open up, reveal ourselves, and expose your vulnerabilities. With the wind at your door, old snow piled up on your lawns, and ice pelting your windows, you can be inside - the fireplace blazing, your favorite music playing, the lights low, a side table with a bottle of merlot, quinoa, caesar salad. skirt steak, and red velvet cake on it, and good conversation and laughter filling the air. We do these things all year round, but winter brings a level of intimacy missing when the weather is nice and you are outdoors. Maybe it's that feeling of "we're all in this together" or maybe the need to be inside, huddled together against the cold, brings us closer to that new born feeling of being held or cradled. Whatever it is, I love it. I love winter. And though, as Spring approaches, I am ready to embrace warmer, sunny days and let go of winter - the dirty snow, the bitter cold, the hard, biting rain, and the dangerous roads; in my heart, I am also looking forward, with anticipation, to next year and the newness of winter and the excitement and changes next winter will have in store for me.

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”

― Edith Sitwell --