Stumbling. Fumbling. Fall.
Colorful leaves, warm, rich colors, and mild temperatures are the best combined elements that ignite my senses during the autumn season. I’m a Fall baby, and I wholeheartedly embrace it. The weather is in transition mode where the mornings call for a lightweight jacket or thick sweater; and the late evenings prompt the urge of digging out the thicker comforters to combat the crisp air sneaking through the windows.
The crunching sound of fallen leaves under the shoes of children running through the neighborhood brings joy to my heart. There’s something about the crisp air, and the sudden shift in pairing layers of clothing to your daily wardrobe that sprinkles a dose of nostalgia over me. I’m one that favors my fall wardrobe over spring and summer. I love the weather’s invitation to slip into chunky sweaters, fitted jeans and riding boots, which makes me feel safe and swaddled like an infant — as I digest a new round of deep hues of orange, browns, yellows and olive colors cascading over trees and streets.
The joy I feel is genuine…yet each year around the same time in October, I struggle right between the shift in 90 degree temperatures and sun filled evenings. The sun gives me so much energy, and the moment I begin to realize I’ve lost a second, then a minute…then an hour of bright evenings, a slight case of emotional lows creep up in my psyche. It catches me off guard, especially if I am expecting my lovely, yet evil Aunt Menstrual to interrupt my life for a few days. As the moon greets the sun with a gentle kiss, the mornings are harder to submit to with a smile. Each element of darkness and light share space simultaneously, tricking my body into a confusion of slumber and alertness. My alarm screeches as the moon reluctantly disappears. I grip my covers tighter and hear my spirit whisper joyous chants and songs to assist in my rise and shine. I submit with many grumbles while peeling my body out of the tucked covers, which are beings weighed down by a canine and feline duo who also resist the changing of the seasons. The resistance decreases each day, as I begin to witness leaves floating from the branches that held them in place all summer. The changing of the guard is upon the leaves as well, and with a blink of an eye, long nights, and fast paced days…I begin to embrace the beauty, color and inevitable arrival Fall.