I adore fall – the brilliant colors, golden days and cool nights; the bounty of farmstand apples, pears, and pumpkins; the delectable aromas of a country fair! The sweet scent of woodsmoke becomes familiar again as people in the neighborhood light the first fires of the season. Fall has its own smell, too, rich and earthy, as wet fallen leaves pile up and plants slowly melt back into the soil from where they emerged just a few short months ago. Hickory nuts abound, closely followed by acorns and pinecones. Soon, pine needles will blanket the edges of the road and feel soft under our feet as we walk. There is so much about the season that delights our senses!
For many fall is a season of beginnings – the kids go back to school, young people move to new apartments, others join classes or committees. The cooler days seem to create a sense of urgency to get involved and get things settled. The holiday season begins as we celebrate Thanksgiving and look forward to Christmas, making those last few weeks the busiest of the year. But fall is also a time of sadness as the year turns toward winter and our lives move indoors. It’s a time for reflection over the past year’s accomplishments as well as a time to look ahead.
Turning the corner from summer to fall can be a difficult transition. Longer nights close in and the refreshing coolness of September days turns seriously cold by November. In spring, as the days lengthen and temperatures warm, we feel exhilarated as life re-emerges from the cold depths of winter. We look forward to the sun-filled days ahead; it’s a change we’ve longed for. But fall signals the loss of light and warmth, as the days turn darker and colder, moving in the opposite direction toward the end of the year. I’m grateful that it’s a slow and gradual process because, for those of us who love the warmth of the sun, it can be downright depressing.
Many of us acutely miss the loss of light and become sluggish with the cloudy and wet days of fall. We may feel like eating more and/or sleeping more; we may lack motivation. Those mild sunny days, taken for granted in summer, now become rare and precious! Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is something many people experience this time of year, an unpleasant side effect of shorter days and less sunlight. We have no choice but to endure the discomfort and commiserate with friends and family over our common predicament!
More than any other season, fall is a time of preparation. Just like the squirrels stowing away nuts for the months ahead, we humans tend to our own rituals. Many of us put garden produce by for the winter months, our homegrown tomatoes and green beans even more welcome come January. We begin to cook comfort foods of soups and stews which warm our homes as well as our bodies. We bake apple crisps and pumpkin pies, savoring the warming spices of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. We stock up on wood for the fireplace or stove, fill our oil tanks and “hunker down” for the colder months ahead.
Fall is the season when we begin to turn inward, mourning the end of another year and yet taking comfort in the knowledge that we’re all part of the infinite circle of life.
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