Goodbye Summer, Welcome Autumn

A new season arrived this week in the Northern Hemisphere—the air is getting cooler, and it’s time to turn off the air conditioner and turn on the heat. Summer flowers are fading, patio furniture is going into storage. It’s time for warmer clothes as the days are getting shorter and the clocks will fall back an hour. Change is, once again, in the air. 

I love the carefreeness of summer: long, lazy days, bright blue skies and sunshine, opened windows and birdsong at 4:30 in the morning. But now it’s time to say goodbye and welcome a new season. In the northeast, we’re blessed with the beauty of all four seasons, and I love each and every one of them. I’m always ready when it’s time for a season to change as each one gives us so much to celebrate. 

Autumn arrives with beautiful, vibrant colors, apple cider, hayrides, pumpkin picking. Kids go back to school (although it’s a bit different this year!), dress up in costumes, explore corn mazes. We get an extra hour of sleep, the month of November to give thanks, and time to nest for the winter. 

Autumn is the season of letting go. Nature releases without any difficulty, but letting go can be hard for us. Watch the leaves dance to the ground with no care or worry. The tree becomes bare but, in the spring, it’ll come back stronger. Nature is a great example of how releasing can look in our lives.  

However, we often fight to hold on and struggle to let go. Change isn’t easy, but it’s necessary to grow. Like nature, it’s time for us to release old ways, thoughts, or habits. It’s a time of reflection, to be honest with ourselves, to reevaluate our dreams and review our goals. Sometimes we hold on to things for too long, causing problems in our next season. Growth can be painful because it pushes us out of our comfort zone. And yet the tests of life—the pruning—is the work that must be done in order for something new to emerge. It can be hard, but we’re being shaped into new, expansive beings. Without seasonal changes, we’d never discover new things or experience exciting new adventures. Seasons are temporary, and transitioning from one to the next is a natural part of life.

What did you learn about yourself during the summer season? How did you change? What did you learn about others? Take time to reflect on what the summer taught you as you move into autumn. It’ll help you let go of whatever needs releasing. 

Just as nature gives us four seasons, we have seasons in our lives. They may not always coincide with nature’s seasons—autumn is here now, but you may be metaphorically in a spring, summer or winter season. Whatever season you’re in, don’t rush it. Take the time to learn from it. 

What season of life are you in? 

• Growing season – change can be difficult because you’re being pushed beyond your comfort zone.
• Pruning season – testing and refining, being prepared for something new.
• Dry season – waiting is not necessarily fun and can feel like it’ll never end.
• Harvest season – a busy season, reaping the benefits from seeds you previously planted; the mountain-top experience.

Walk through whatever season you’re in with an open mind and heart to learn whatever lessons life wants to teach you.