One of my daughters, after she moved out of Michigan, said the one thing she missed most was autumn and the beauty of the turning of the leaves. If I moved away from the Great Lakes, I would have to agree with her. Rustling leaves whispering tales of yearly endings, brilliant colors painting landscapes, gradually cooling air…rainy or dry, autumn in Michigan is a bit magical. Whether it’s a warmer or colder autumn, the sweet smells of fall permeate the air around us; especially during the dry autumns. Those sweet, dry winds of Northern Michigan blowing across the face…reminds me of my youth.
Perhaps because it’s especially magical when you are a child. Playing or jumping in piles of October leaves, or throwing them at each other. Raking them into house walls or a fort and setting up furniture or gadgets to mark each room. Burying your siblings and watching them jump out to scare the next person who walks by. My siblings and I did it all. And every year we’d pull out the wax paper and crayons and collect the best leaf specimens; the most beautiful, the most colorful leaves, and make lovely artwork. Placing the leaves just right on the center of the wax paper, scraping the right crayon colors over and around them, then ironing on the top piece of wax paper to seal it all together. Young people, joyful laughter, playful games. Worthwhile memories.
This year has been a warm year for September and October – so far at least, and I know some of you are wishing for chillier weather so you can cuddle up in your sweaters and wear your favorite boots. The ones you can only wear in fall or spring. Personally, I’ll take all the warm weather I can. I love feeling the heat of the sun on my skin and being able to sit on my patio comfortably – as I’m doing now while I type. I’ll miss sitting on the patio once the temperatures fall, but I understand why some people are “over” the heat and humidity. One of my cousins lived in California and told my mother once that it’s not all it’s cut out to be. There’s beach sand in the house all year long. It gave me pause. Trading one issue (snow shoveling) for another (always cleaning up sand – which is harder to get rid of than it sounds). Some of us would be quite happy to trade those two tasks…still…beach sand in everything…all year long…never a break from it. Something to think about – the grass is not always greener elsewhere; it’s just another field with its own set of problems as well as joys.
Well, my colder-seeking friends, be patient, it is coming. Sooner or later, the earth will do what it must do as it keeps turning and growing and surviving – despite mankind’s efforts at destroying it. But I won't spoil today’s writing with pollution and potential global warming. Today I am celebrating the tide of colors, the turning of one season to another, the beauty of Mother Earth as she changes “clothes” and prepares for the cold months ahead. For as the earth tilts further away from the sun on our part of the planet and the days get ever shorter, the air will cool its way to freezing and the trees will drop their leaves – as they must. The energy and water needed to keep tree leaves healthy fades. When the cold begins settling in, some trees can’t make enough chlorophyll. Chlorophyll, with sunlight, assists plants in making food and causes the green color, so as the days shorten, other pigments are allowed to show their colors. Thus, for a short time we are graced with the autumn facelift of beautiful yellow, orange and red vistas before the leaves drop and the stem ends seal for the upcoming new year.
So, did you catch that "allowed"? “Other pigments are allowed to show their colors.” Does that mean the bold colors are always there hidden from our sight? Think what that could mean for us. Do we have boldness in us, color in us, surprises in us, various traits we ourselves are unaware of? Look at other people differently. Everyone has brilliance in them just waiting to be allowed to come out – including ourselves. Let's allow it, in fact, let's encourage it! Think how much more beautiful life would be if we showed all our multi-faceted colors.
When the last of the October leaves have all fallen to the ground and become November's rotting leaves, we know the last of the year’s warmth is also gone. The landscape becomes more and more barren and grayed or rust colored – except for the evergreens that dot our part of the earth. We must look to our heavy coats or furnaces for warmth. We must bunker down a bit until Spring returns. And Spring will not disappoint. Sunshine, new buds, beginning warmth, new life – out of the rot of the leaves; nothing natural is real waste on this earth. As in life, the warm and cold times come, the dismal and delightful times come; they come and go, they bring despair and they bring hope. Always remember, seasons come and seasons go. There is always a spring on the horizon, and so there is also always hope. Seal your stem ends (wounds), so you can have new birth when the new season comes. Mother nature has much to teach us.
Comments