I love autumn or fall. We tend to use “fall” in American English, while “autumn” is the more formal term, if you will. Whichever your preference, the word doesn’t matter. To me, it’s more than a season; it’s a concept. For Greene County, fall is the most glorious season of all.
For most, fall is the time of year when winter is around the corner. The cold and snow are approaching, and that creates some anxiety. For others, it may be the stress of the holiday rush and finalizing something they’ve been putting off for months. It is also the time of that hectic back-to-school schedule ramping up: work, school, activities, practices, and literally running from here to there until you think there is no end in sight. All these things have one thing in common: stress. While nature might be settling in, humans are racing to the finish line.
I was one of those people. My fall revolved around the holidays approaching and work being so busy at that time of year that I wanted to cry. And I did, many times. I was picking my kids up after school to race to dance, soccer, basketball, volleyball, band, theater, goalie lessons, and appointments on top of working and teaching. My husband was in there too, running as much as he could when three girls had to be in two to three places at once. Friends, families, and our dear babysitter picked up the slack. It took a village. The interesting part: it was all a blur. My mother used to say, “I don’t know how you do it.” I didn’t see it at the time. I thought this is what parents do: run yourself ragged so your kid can be a productive adult. If they don’t work hard at something and excel, how will they survive in this world? Maybe this was that Gen X mentality: get an education, work hard (even if you don’t love that job, it pays the bills), have a family, and retire with something left as Social Security won’t be there for you (as told to me by numerous professors between 1983-1987)! Hmm… sounds really awesome, doesn’t it?
So here I am, in fall. Not just physically in the season of fall in SWPA (for those of you who live here and know that means Southwestern Pennsylvania, or where you pay your sewer bill), but in the fall of my lifespan. Did I just say that? Yes. Spring took me from birth to maybe age 30, and I rode the wave of summer to 50-something. Now, at 60, I’m in the early beginnings of fall, or at least I hope so! I know for most, it is scary. For me, I’m trying to look at it a little differently. I’ll explain.
As I was walking my dogs this morning, I noticed the leaves starting to change color. Some years, they are not so colorful. I don’t know the science behind this, but I am sure there is an explanation. In any case, it made me stop and reflect. Just be a tree. I said it. Be a tree. The tree graciously gives in to its fall color change as it knows in spring, it will be reborn. Its leaves will come back, it will stand tall, and create that beautiful lush, green landscape once again. It doesn’t give up in winter. It knows that this time will pass and once again, it will be back to its spring self. It’s fearless, if you will.
I will preempt this by saying, I have dabbled in forest bathing, thanks to my wonderful sister. She gifted me a little book that I’ve referred to time and time again. Many will think it’s a little “out there”, but the general theme is: we can learn a lot from trees. They stand tall in all kinds of weather, their roots run deep to withstand storms, and they eliminate their leaves each autumn (baggage as humans might say). Through all of this, they blossom in the spring, lap up those spring rains, and become lush and green once again. For me, I think of the trees as fearless, and that’s exactly how I’d like to tackle fall and winter.
If I’m going to be fearless, I know that means finishing strong. I want to soak up all those glorious colors of fall, accept the winter with grace as much as is humanly possible, and enjoy the peacefulness of winter, reflecting on all that has transpired. Enjoy the fall walks, hikes, and bike rides. Soak up some wisdom from the trees. Visualize their roots running deep into the earth, creating a sturdy foundation. Take some time to listen to that breeze rustling through those leaves. Enjoy this upcoming season in Greene County being a tree.
