I love the cool breeze that fall brings this time of year. The refreshing respite from the oppressive heat of August is welcomed. I love how the haze clears and suddenly the sky is a brighter blue than it was two days before. Like someone just changed your prescription for glasses, the entire world becomes clearer. A hugh sigh is released by nature as the coolness begins to settle in.
I love the sunsets of the fall. Short, and quick, but full of color and wonder. Deep reds and oranges mix with honey yellow and bright pink fighting against the cold dark purples and blacks that begin to stretch onward into the hour. The shadows begin to grow, casting dark oblong patterns on an earth preparing for a long and deep sleep. It is peaceful and almost puts me to sleep. But not just any sleep; a deep and renewing sleep.
Fall is a time of change I used to dread. Fall meant the coming months of death and decay. Cold harsh winters with bitter cold temperatures and nothing but slumbering dead trees around. Yet it began to take on a completely different meaning for me last year. Suddenly, fall wasn't the coming of something bad, but of something good: change. Just as summer is only temporary, so is winter. And spring and fall are the flux in between, a dichotomy of fluctuations. I think because I find change so beautiful, and last fall was a drastic change for me, I find fall so beautiful. But even more so is what fall brings: winter. And for perhaps the first time in my life, I am looking forward to winter. (That'll change come mid January). The cold weather is invigorating and it reminds us that we are alive. Around us is nothing but death and slumber, but we soldier on, alive, warm, and awake. That is exciting and beautiful in and of itself. The resilience of our bodies to harsh weathers and how recognizing that can be exhilarating.
So as spring reminds us of the coming colors, smells, and growth that signifies external life, fall reminds us of the coming cold, sleep, and blandness that signifies internal life. Both are beautiful.
*fin
In biology we learn that dormancy is a time of rest, not death. So winter is a time to rest, rejuvenate, prepare ourselves to go back out into the world. It is a good time to read, and reflect on all the God has done for us. And all of that would be good, if we could just skip February....
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