Welcome to October! One cannot scroll through social media these days or turn on the TV without seeing all sorts of photos and quotes about autumn finally arriving. The stores have been geared up for weeks ahead of time, their shelves filled with fall decorations and, of course, scary Halloween decorations as well. It's almost as if we are being hit over the head with it wherever we turn. So, what's the big deal about autumn anyway?
I can only speak from my own personal perspective. First of all, you can't beat the colors. Sure, spring is filled with promise and hope after a long, dark winter, but autumn celebrates all of that hope and promise fulfilled in its bountiful harvests, blazing colors, and crisp scents in the cooler air. It's as if Mother Earth is making sure she goes out with a bang before all is asleep once again under that snowy blanket.
The older I get, the more autumn takes on an almost spiritual meaning for me. I appreciate the beauty of the land so much more. The colors and variety of the harvest makes me want to take to my kitchen and cook up a storm, feeding my soul as well as my body. Most of all, autumn inspires me. While I try not to dwell on the idea of my passing some day, when I do go, I want to go out just like Mother Nature does every year. I want to go out in a blaze of glory, full of the life I've lived, the people I've loved, and the gifts I've been able to share. Until then, I want to live full out, full of color, glory, and the crisp wind in my hair that says "Here I am, world. Let's play in the leaves!"
And so it is.
