We are on the cusp of the changing seasons, where summer fades and autumn signals its arrival.
How do you feel when you notice the changes happening in nature, heralding the end of summer?
For some, it’s dread, for they leap over autumn and focus on winter.
Others are busy canning, pickling and preserving this year’s bountiful harvest with a sense of gratitude to nature for all that it provides.
Then some watch nature change her palette with radiant splashes of colour, admiring its beauty. They watch with amazement as flocks of birds listen to their internal timepiece and start their long journey to warmer climes. Smiles appear as they see critters stocking up on nuts and berries for the months ahead. As they walk in parks, along the river or in the forest, they can smell the changes in the earth from the woodsy, fragrant smells of summer to the musty, earthy scent of autumn.
The seasons remind us of one sure thing in life: change.
How good are you with change?
Regardless of one’s feelings about change, it is a constant occurrence. Our lives and the circumstances around us are constantly in a state of adjustment and transformation. Who we were yesterday is not how we are today, nor will we be tomorrow.
Our societal structure is such that it disconnects us from the natural flow of nature. And yet, we are nature, not just a part of nature but nature itself. When we observe nature and her cycles, we become one with the miracle of life that flows through everything.
In this transitional period, as summer gives way to autumn, take some time to step outside and admire the beauty all around you. Notice the flowers that are still thriving in the late summer. Take delight in the fresh produce that is available in the markets and gardens. Get out into nature and let your senses run wild: see, taste, smell and feel the changes. Most of all, let yourself be one with nature’s cycle.
I leave you with this poem, “Waiting on the Cusp.”
Waiting on the cusp, Summer becomes Autumn,
when days are balmy, as leaves are falling,
The sun moves down, lower in the sky.
The harvest is almost ready as summer breaths a last sigh.
Yellow and copper appear in the hedgerows, about now,
The fields lush with gold, are ready to plough
The corn silks are turning brown and nearly ready to pull,
The berries are sumptuously ripe and full.
The air, it carries, a slight hint of the chill,
Yet the warmth lingers softly, in a final farewell,
Each creature is aware of the change in the air,
Gathering treasures to bury, for when the weather is less fair.
Paths are dotted with a few fallen leaves,
In the orchard fruit hangs heavily from the trees,
marking the beginning of Summers retreat,
There are signs that soon Autumn she will meet.
Some birds are preparing to take to their flight
Venturing to warmer lands, when the time feels right.
The geese fly high with the moon on their wing,
As resident birds a farewell song they will sing .
As we ponder on the beauty of the gifts of both seasons,
We are grateful for both, as each has their reason .
And as we stand here absorbing the soft, beams of warm light,
We appreciate the way that all feels just right.
C.E.Coombes