Autumn has a way of reminding me of my own mortality and rapidly advancing years. I've already lived approximately three-quarters of my life, which amazes me. How did it all go by so fast, and why does my body feel so much older than my mind thinks I should be?
Leaves make the perfect example of life cycles. They start out as tiny, hopeful buds in the early Spring of their existence, then mature to sturdy, deep green leaves that hold tight during summer storms. Autumn comes, and just as they reach their most vibrant and beautiful color they begin to loose their grip and wear thin. Before long they will become fragile and the first strong wind will send them swirling to the ground, where they decay and return to the earth.
We are like that too, becoming in some ways more beautiful, and perhaps more self-assured in our "golden" years, then succumbing to gradual deterioration and the changing winds of time. I truly wish it didn't end that way, and that we all could go out in a blaze of crimson glory, but when I watch a beautiful Autumn leaf being set free at last and floating slowly to it's resting place, I think perhaps it's not such a bad thing, this letting go and returning from whence we came.
I love all the truth and imagery in this...from a written but also a life perspective.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Zoe! While aging may not exactly be "the golden years", I am slowly learning to make peace with it.
DeleteJust beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Patricia! Fall always brings a time of reflection as I mentally prepare for the coming cold of winter.
DeleteAutumn is my favourite season because I relate to it. Many of my poems are about age, Autumn, and the intertwining of them both.
ReplyDeleteIt is becoming my favorite season too, Annie, as I look forward to it so much after the extreme heat of summer. There is a calmness about Autumn, a resigning of ourselves to life cycles. You write lovely poems! XOXO
DeleteA wise comparison. I wish us an easy drifting to rest...when it's time.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Gail, I wish the same for both of us and those we love. It is not the passing that we fear, but that the process might be prolonged or painful.
DeleteSuch wise and beautiful words. Funny, I was just sitting in my car for a minute when I got home a few minutes ago thinking about autumn. I love it most of any season. I love its beauty and majesty - the colors are so rich and warm. I love the smells and the feel of the changing air. I think my soul is autumn. People have always told me I'm an old soul, so maybe that's it - I appreciate that later part of the year. I don't know.
ReplyDeleteAutumn is definitely a time that brings to the forefront a reminder of the cycles we experience in life. I like the idea that while autumn is definitely a transition period, it is also a glorious one.
Your thoughts and feelings echo mine, Lisa, Autumn isn't sad to me, it is warm and beautiful, soft and gentle, unlike the energy and excitement found in Spring. We are finally having a few cooler days here and I treasure them. Before long I will be grumbling about the cold. :-)
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