Fall -- A Time For Reflection

Some of my friends think of Fall and the approaching Winter as a dark time, a time heralding death. Not me. I think of those two seasons as a time where the world is tired from all the efforts of the summer and slows to a time of well earned rest. I find this to be a time when nature pulls me into relaxation. In my spot on the planet, the rhythms of the seasons change. The heat of the high desert Summer lets go to the cool breezes of Fall. The trees shed their leaves in preparation of Winter slumber. I imagine nature's heartbeat slows, then she takes a deep breath and releases that breath sighing. As a person who continually bites off more than she can chew, it's nice to have outside influences to help me slow down. I get myself so revved up sometimes that I don't realize I'm going 200 miles an hour until I crash. I'm looking forward to Winter more than usual this year. Having lost my Mother this past February I find myself looking at time differently and wanting to use every moment well. I'm finding ways to pare down the number of responsibilities I've heaped up on my back. It's happening bit by bit. I imagine by Spring I'll feel considerably lighter. :-)