On inevitable change

"Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn."
Elizabeth Lawrence

So I'm walking the dog and I'm feeling the crunch of the newly fallen leaves under my now-sneakered, sock-wearing feet. It's a little too chilly to wear my summertime-staple sandals on our nighttime walks, and the hooded sweatshirts are now coming out of storage, too, to help ward off the almost-autumn breezes.

I don't begrudge this transition, as it's one of my favorite times of year. We've had our summer, our lushly hot and humid days, our days at the beach, and now it's time to put them all away for a bit and hunker down for what lies ahead. There's a sweetness, a romance, almost, to pulling on an extra layer or two, tightening it against you and heading out into the cooling world.

I like living in a place that moves through such diversity over the course of a year. We may yet complain about missing the warm summer, about the inconvenience of a colder, snowier climate, but I've got to believe that the very act of putting one season away and preparing for the next somehow enriches us, somehow makes us better people.

Or maybe I just like how I feel when I bury myself in an oversized sweater and feel the chill on my face. It's what I imagine life should feel like.

Your turn: Autumn starts this Friday, September 23rd*. What are the first three words that come to mind when you hear the word?

* In the Northern Hemisphere. It's all Spring down under.