Here is one of my popular posts from last year -reposted
Every October, in this part of the world, we witness the spectacular demise of a million maple leaves. The onset of fall begins the spread of a gradual decay over the earth, in sharp contrast with summer’s rich abundance. Light is receding. Warmth has flown away with the whisper of a chill wind and we prepare for another Canadian winter. The weakening afternoon sun lingers momentarily on golden hued leaves then drops early behind the distant mountains. The brilliance of this autumn sun is a juxtaposition of both warming and fading, and I am reminded that there is a definite lesson for all of us in this beautiful season of decay. The cycle of nature has a plan. Endings will always be followed by beginnings. With death there is always rebirth. The fall signals the necessary end of summer in order for winter to take hold and gradually give way to spring. Darkness is part of the process and we know light will one day return. In this future renewal we place our eternal faith. This time of year always pulls my senses inward and I marvel at how my internal world is shaped and nurtured by the earth’s rhythms and cycles. Spring and summer pull me out to the warm rays of the sun and autumn draws me into myself.
Autumn also accelerates the acute awareness I have of the passing of time. It sometimes leaves me feeling as though I should have grown somewhat wiser since the last time I watched the trees denude and bare their twisted boughs. While the world outside screams the passing of another year with vibrant and colorful defiance, I mentally count off to myself the year’s accomplishment. Raising a child has given me a whole new perspective of time. As the mother of a busy youngster I sometimes feel I don’t have enough time to fully realize the kind of accomplishments that are of use to the outside world. However I am discovering that there are valuable learning and teaching situations experienced within our families and day-to-day life, many opportunities to grow in order to become even more of who we are.
It seems irritation in this life is a given. We are constantly challenged by circumstances beyond our control. Every week most of us will face some sort of disappointment, criticism, set-back, hostility or other obstacle. Sometimes these obstacles are minor and sometimes these challenges are life altering in their magnitude. We always have a choice in how we proceed. I have learned that tremendous challenges to overcome bring an opportunity to open my heart. Obstacles provide for me the impetus to work to change outgrown beliefs, identities and lifestyles. Once again I find myself placing faith in my deep understanding that darkness is part of the process. The light will always eventually return.
‘Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith”
-Margaret Shepherd
