Fall’s Opportunities

by Lisa Coyne

Hello friends,

The leaves have begun to turn, and October’s light breezes flutter them earth in bright drifts of red, orange, and gold. You may have heard the quote, “The trees are showing us how lovely it is to let things go.”

Fall can be a time of reflection,when the light takes a golden slant in the afternoons, and we take stock before winter’s quiet. For some of us, it can also be a time for renewal - when we let go of things we struggle with, and embrace new adventures. I’m reminded of Mary Oliver’s beautiful poem about this season.

Song of Autumn

Don’t you imagine the leaves dream now how comfortable it will be to touch the earth instead of the nothingness of the air and the endless freshets of wind? And don’t you think the trees, especially those with mossy hollows, are beginning to look for

the birds that will come — six, a dozen — to sleep inside their bodies? And don’t you hear the goldenrod whispering goodbye, the everlasting being crowned with the first tuffets of snow? The pond stiffens and the white field over which the fox runs so quickly brings out its long blue shadows. The wind wags its many tails. And in the evening the piled firewood shifts a little longing to be on its way.

©Mary Oliver

If you could, what struggles would you let go? And what do you wish to make space for in your life? What would give you a sense of aliveness, of vitality, of joy? What if you could take some steps towards that this season?

Sometimes our struggle with anxiety, OCD, or depression takes away our focus from the beauty around us. Letting that struggle go can be hard, but so worth it. We hope you take a few moments this week to breathe, to enjoy the crisp blue sky, to hear the geese call as they make their journey south, to see the trees release their leaves in a blaze of color.