Lately, I have heard a few people say that autumn is their favourite time of the year. The cooler days, the changing colour of leaves, the dulling of the sky, the coziness of sweaters, the crackle of an evening fire, the drift of wood smoke through the air, are all indicators of the turning of the season. For many these are sources of comfort as we mark the passing of the year, the movement of time.
September signals a return to routine, that is, if you have been blessed to enjoy some summer holiday time and relaxation. That is not always the case when you live in a tourist town and a summer paradise. Many of our folks work harder in the summer tending to the needs and wants of those who come to Muskoka for the season. Those who work in the service industry see September as a gift of a slower pace and a return to a manageable work schedules. Shops and business owners here depend on summer traffic to buy their wares and keep their budgets afloat and now they start to hope and pray for the pre-Christmas destination shoppers.
Grandparents, who have hosted the coming and going of grandchildren all summer, are heralding the return of the school buses on the roads and are now off on their own little jaunts. Groups that took a summer hiatus and committees that did not meet over the summer are now setting dates and gathering to renew their work.
There is something about the rhythm of the year that excites me and even calms me, while at the same time, gives me pause. A new season means time has passed. All that had been hoped for in the summer season, is now behind us. September is all about looking forward and anticipating – a new school year, a new job, a new activity, a new vacation idea, a new plan. September is a start-up time. But, it means the summer is behind us.
I wouldn’t say that the autumn is my favourite time of year. I like everything it offers but for me it is a season of dying; the leaves drop, the flowers fade, the frost comes, and we have to wear shoes! It is a season of hunkering down and settling in. It has its charm, and its own particular beauty, but there is a weightiness to September that isn’t there in June. This is a time of making plans rather than anticipating surprise. This is a time of preserving, rather than letting go. It is a rich time with its own beauty and charm but it sure feels different from the carefree time of spring.
My prayer for you, dear reader, is that September unfolds with a richness that deepens your life and soothes your spirit.
