Autumn
“But
when fall comes…one day sometime after the midpoint of September, it stays
awhile like an old friend you have missed. It settles in like an old friend
will settle into your favorite chair and take out his pipe and light it and then
fill the afternoon with stories of places he has been and things he has done
since the last time he saw you.”
Stephen
King (Salem’s Lot)
Today
is the first day of autumn—the Autumnal Equinox—marking the end of summer.
Yesterday in Birmingham, the afternoon temperature hit 94 degrees. It will do
the same today. I welcome this fall more than any I can remember because this
summer’s temperatures have been brutal. This turning of the year is always a
point of reassurance that, in Max Ehrmann’s words, “the universe is
unfolding as it should.” We can at least anticipate cooler weather at some
point in our future.
In
looking up Ehrmann’s prose poem, “Desiderata,” which was written in 1927, I was
struck by the timelessness of his words. My memory of that poem is from the
1970’s when poetry set to music was in vogue and "Desiderata" became the holy anthem
for the anti-war protesters and free-love flower children. Here are some of his
words that still ring true today:
“Exercise
caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of treachery. But let
this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals
and everywhere life is full of heroism. With all it’s sham, drudgery, and
broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.”
Autumn
is the most beautiful season to me. Cool air, incredible colors, clear skies,
and quiet. The birds have finished their summer vigil and territorial security.
They are molting and packing their bags for the long migration. For me, this
will aways be the season of long walks, and stories told by the fire, wrapped
in a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate and a favorite friend. It is the cozy
season. What’s not to love about that?
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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