Small Changes
On noticing
“Longer shadows,
Less daylight.
Filter through the
Warm sunlight.
Crisp mornings
Warm evenings
Days are shortening, after all.”
The days are becoming shorter and while I dread that a bit I am also enthralled because summer is my least favorite season despite it usually being the busiest. Fall is full of cozy teas, though I’ve hardly touched those lately because the temperatures still seem too warm for cozy tea in the evening, long after dinner walks along the lake enjoying how the landscape changes with the seasons.
I truly am bewildered at how much time I’ve been outside the last few weeks. So much so that I’ve intentionally bought new walking shoes (why was I sleeping on Brooks for so long?). My Apple Watch keeps telling me that there’s been a change in my step pattern, which there has, but there’s also been a change in my eating as well. Being more intentional with the produce I buy based on the season, fully embracing fall with apple cinnamon oatmeal every morning (during the week, or else its pumpkin pie overnight oats) that is topped with Greek yogurt with a tablespoon of maple syrup and heaps of apple pie spice.
Being intentional about this slow down is nice. But it’s come at a price. Feeling every emotion this month as hard things have come. Health challenges in my family causing me to pause and reflect on how life can be taken for granted sometimes. Friends losing family members after short months of battling cancer. The heaviness will carry into next month, I am sure of it, as this October marks five years without my Dad. Grief can be sneaky like that. Sliding up to you like a long lost best friend. I’m familiar with these seasons, but it still makes me upset but also asking myself what life will look like going forward and lately I am pleased that it’s more time at the library with kids, walks to the three parks near us (somehow there are a total of 36 public parks in Sheboygan, that’s bewildering to me) and soaking in as much time screen-free as possible right now. It’s been really nice honestly.
There’s been a lot of things floating around in my head but right now, I just want to leave them there - aside from the packing list I scribbled down earlier today for the next family trip.
What are some things, if any, that you enjoy about fall?
