Turning of the Wheel

October 1st is tomorrow. Cool whether has settled in and with it the sensation of breathing again. I know. I know.
People love summer. All winter people will by whinging and whining over bringing the summer back, and some are already lamenting the death of the world but I just don't feel that way.

Winter isn't death, just slumber. The world is locked in a crystalline snow globe but beneath the frost the heartbeat is there. The winds may blow just to cover the dreaming breath of the world. Neighbors who talk, wave and rush past to seek the warmth of their home. Outside of the holidays, the winter drives everything inward, not to hide, just to rest.

When Spring comes around we use that rest for a less than calm season. Spring, an appropriate name for the riot of action as plants race to burst from their slumber, fresh blooms struggle against the inconsistent weather and people enter the rush along with it. Lawns are manicured, landscaping is meticulously planted, gardens are planned. Suddenly the friendly ways of neighbors become a competition of whose lawn decor looks better, cleaner, nicer.

This gives way to the monotone greens of summer. The heat tends render everyone into a laze. Parties are relegated to sitting around, dipping a toe in the water or hiding in air conditioning. Worry sets in, will there be too much rain to sustain the crops? Perhaps too much and it will a rained out barbeque. Beer drinking becomes a sport of its own and nature creeps along, mostly unnoticed.

And then...

And then there's a spark. A barely noticeable hint of yellow atop a tree, a beacon for the rest to follow. Slowly the other colors emerge; oranges glowing in the sunlight, reds and even burgundies overwhelm the hillsides. Cooler temperatures coax fruits and vegetables to the harvest table. Animals bustle to ready themselves for winter, prime targets for hunters eyes. Suddenly the world lives again. Everything with its distinct personality. The earth crunches and sends its musk to intoxicate us. Smoke spirals up chimneys to hang on every breeze. Fires crackle and brighten dark corners of the night, ushering people from their homes to laugh, dance and live.
And that's the power of autumn to me, the time when everything truly comes to life. Communities come together over the joy of cider and pumpkins. People lose themselves in corn mazes. Families come together to choose the perfect elements for their feasts. We are nourished, enriched. Alive.

Autumn is when life happens; fully, vibrantly and beautifully.

And I stood in the rain today and welcomed it.