For me, autumn begins in September.
The sun begins to change colour and intensity, the bugs sing much louder and more fervently, and the geese suddenly put in an appearance on the river behind our house, meeting each other, eating, swimming, and taking more and more frequent test flights. A coolness that the summer months lack settles into the warmth of each day almost imperceptibly and a lazy hush seems to soak the earth before the crisp autumn weather stirs us to action.
Technically, I know, it is still summer until the 21st but to me, it is already fall.
I don't know how it is for those of you who live in places where it stays pretty warm all year, but in the heart of the northerner there lies the almost animal instinct to gather. When the leaves begin to change, when the days begin to shorten, we get the hurry, hurry feeling. All around us the trees, plants, fields, and woods offer up the biggest food supply of the year. They too know that soon winter will come to put them to sleep for the long white season and they only have a few more months to grow.
Nuts appear in the trees, apples grow ruddy and crisp, cones from the evergreens fall to the ground, fields ripen, gardens turn into perfect jungles of produce, berries await the hungry bears, and pollen dims the air. Truly fall has to be one of the most bountiful, joyful seasons of the year.
When asked, what is your favourite season, I always answer, whatever season I happen to be in at the moment. But no season affects me quite the same way as fall.
No one is ever remorseful at the death of winter. The melting of the snow, the warming of the air, all hail the new life that comes to conquer the iron grip of winter over the land. Spring dashes into summer, bringing more new life and vivacity with it. The world rejoices in its strength and beauty and pulses with energy. But the coming of autumn fills us with a different feeling. The earth begins to feel its time grow short and after a slight rest in August (a month that always makes me feel sun-soaked and lazy) there begins the glorious autumn frenzy of bounty, colour and activity. Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry... Grow, produce, gather, store. Even today as people who live in snug houses with grocery stores not so far away we still are gripped with the rush of the season to hurry and gather and store before the snow hits us and winter takes over the scene.
Autumn is so beautiful and so sad at the same time. For, even as the maples flash with colours so vibrant they are visible from outer space, this is the signal that soon the leaves will fall, wither, and die and the trees will sleep the long deep sleep of winter. Nothing can last forever. But change is beautiful too. Because without fall and winter, there would be no joyful springs and glorious summers.
Change is hard on humans. We dread it, we dislike it, and sometimes it scares us. I too, am guilty of being adverse to change. But change is also beautiful and wonderful and good. God strives to teach us this in so many little ways, including the movement of the seasons. Change means growth and experience and life. So enjoy this beautiful new season as it comes to you now. Count your blessings, be thankful, and embrace the change as summer now melts into a beautiful autumn :)
Indian Summer
Along the line of smoky hills
The crimson forest stands,
And all the day the blue-jay calls
Throughout the autumn lands.
Now by the brook the maple leans
With all his glory spread,
And all the sumachs on the hills
Have turned their green to red.
Now by great marshes wrapt in mist,
Or past some river's mouth,
Throughout the long, still autumn day
Wild birds are flying south.
Wilfred Campbell
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