First days of Fall

As the seasons change, so do our routines, meals, and clothing. Fall is a mark in time that means harvest, warmer clothing, and a look into ourselves. In the summer we spend so much time outdoors and doing activities that we are focused on the outside and forget about things within. Fall naturally forces us to look within, because it forces us to transition from the outside world to the inside.

Every year around the end of July it catches me off guard. The light changes. I first notice it during my walks. The sun’s angle is different. Then comes the air. The days are warm, but filled with cool wind that kind of catches you off guard. Next come the leaves. They start slowly at first, rolling across the road, making a scratching noise that I always think someone is there. Then more of them fall into the gutters on the edge of the road. My son rides his bike through them with such delight and they crackle and pop below. The blackberries are ripe and we stop every so often to pick nature’s desert. The rose hips are in bloom and I always pick them to remember this time of year. I find the little bits and pieces in my jacket pocket as a reminder of the time.  The apples are making the branches droop like rain drops; heavy and round. It is a reminder that the days will be darker, and the warm outside will be less, while the warm from inside will be more.

What does it mean to us? It means that we find ourselves adapting to this new time. Internally, I have been looking inward to reconnect with old ways that are fulfilling. Externally, I have been foraging for the upcoming dark months.

The wind continues, hurrying the leaves off the branches and the trees call out to wrap them in a sweater. Then the snow comes and they get their wish with a white blanket.

It’s all int he little things. The light, the acorns on the ground, the orange sunrise, and the pink sunset. All of these things are fall.

Fall is a time that I hold dear to my heart and find the most contentment in.

What are the things that remind you of fall? As the season progresses, I will be sharing the things I do and practice during this time of year.