Days of Autumn

The days of late are drenched in sunlight.

It is as if gold were poured out upon the trees,

each leaf shimmering in abundant splendor.

It is the season of abundance, and the remembrance

of times past.

How can we forget those bygone days of childhood,

donning Halloween costumes, waiting for dusk to arrive?

Those were the days of candy corn, and grass stains on our sneakers.

So much running from house to house:

how could we keep our sneakers clean?

Autumn is a timekeeper, a golden clock,

softly ticking.

At every stroke, the leaves fall and flutter,

and mark the passage of days, a life well-lived,

and the promise of lovely things yet to be…

Tasty treats of Autumn!

Autumn is a beautiful season! If ever there were a season made for remembrance, it would be Autumn. We remember our childhood days, raking leaves, jumping in leaf piles, dreaming of the holidays yet to come.

It is the season for ‘letting go’ of things too heavy to carry. We watch the trees shed their leaves, and we shed some of our baggage as well. These sun-kissed days hold hidden treasures.

When I was a young girl, I hated to give up summer. Well into the fall, I would go to the beach and pull up my jeans knee-high, so I could go out into the chilly water, and dig for clams with my feet. The water was so cold at this point, and I often did get somewhat wet. I always found some clams to bring home! One of my favorite things to do was to bring a thermos of hot tea with me to the beach. That way, I could warm up after being in the chilly water.

The seasons come and the seasons go. Although I still love to hold onto summer for as long as I can, I admit that I like these sweater days as well.

This past weekend, we went to a local pumpkin farm. The sunflowers were mostly done blooming, but the zinnias were ablaze with color. The bees were perfectly content, as were the butterflies. In such a place, it is easy to be content as well, the world of nature, so absorbing.

At one point, I stopped to watch the bees so hard at work. I tried to get some good pictures of the butterflies, but they flitted back and forth so quickly, it wasn’t easy.

There are few things in the world more lovely than a butterfly. A butterfly does not start out as a beautiful winged creature. It takes time to become so very beautiful. The life cycle of a butterfly is certainly inspiring!

One of the stories I loved to read to my children, and now to my grandchildren, is “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”, by Eric Carle. Children love the story of the butterfly that all begins with a little egg!

This is a story that speaks to the hearts of adults as well as children. There are many bumps along the way as we journey to adulthood and beyond. We are continuously changing and growing into the person we will become.

The thing is, we are always ‘becoming’. God sees the masterpiece within us, and He is continually at work on our behalf. The journey begins each and every day as our life story evolves and unfolds. One day, some day, we too, will emerge as ‘butterflies’ in Heaven. We too, will have found our ‘wings’ at last.

Autumn reminds us to pause and be present. It reminds us that the clock is ever ticking. We must appreciate the autumnal splendor of this very hour. It will not come again in the same way or time.

It also reminds us to be patient with ourselves and others. ‘Becoming’ is the work of a lifetime, and we all have our bumps in the road of life.

The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “To every thing there is a season.” And, it is most assuredly true. It is wise that in whatever season we find ourselves, we celebrate the gifts of that hour.