Hello Beautiful

Today is September 1st.

There is something about September 1st that just makes me feel happy and invigorated. Lots of people feel this way at the beginning of the new year, a new beginning… but for me, when the air starts to change, the leaves start to fall and I can sit with my boys and a cup of coffee and a hooded sweatshirt on a Sunday morning. It just makes my heart warm.

Maybe it’s the new school year and the reminder of new sneakers, empty notebooks and the nervous butterfly in your stomach feeling of waiting for the bus on the first day of school. Maybe it’s the fact that the air feels so much lighter, the dampness is lifted and the smell of rain, warm apple pie and chili or pot roast in the crock pot fills it back up. Maybe it’s the fall tones, burnt oranges, deep burgundy and navy blue that resonate with me on a comfort level that I just cant explain. Whatever it is… its my favorite.

I know there are many people that feel the complete opposite. That everything is “dying,” the winter is coming and we have to brace ourselves for the snow. Before we know it there will be images and melodies of the jolly man “Santa” smeared across our television screens and retail stores. Before the turkey is even bought, people start planning their “Black Friday” shopping spree… and before I can even pick out my sons Halloween costume I have people asking me what he needs/wants for Christmas. SLOW IT DOWN PEOPLE. Take a minute to really live in the moment. Take a step back, turn down the “I have to get the best Christmas present at the best price, and the hottest toy” volume and breathe in the cool fall air. Take these moments to wrap up in a blanket and sit outside with a warm drink and your favorite people and listen to the trees. Share stories around the table with your friends and family with no pressure of where you have to take off to next to “make the rounds” and really listen to what they have to say, share stories and smiles of your own. Remember that tomorrow is not a promise, tomorrow is a gift. Jump in leaves, stomp in puddles with your shiny new rain boots, enjoy the laughter.

When I look at the leaves changing color, I don’t see them “dying.” To me, the leaves changing and falling, then dancing across the windows or through the lawn with the breeze signifies life. There is so much vibrancy in the colors, the peak of the life of the leaves, their finale so to speak. Suddenly we are looking at a painting that we are so lucky to see in person, witnessing Gods work right before our eyes. Yes, they fall, yes they are eventually scraped across the grass with rakes and bagged to be taken away… but really, the process isn’t much unlike any person trying to rid themselves of the heaviness of life. The process of “letting go” of the baggage collected through the year/years. It’s a time where we should be prepping our minds and our bodies for the next goal in our life, making room for the beautiful things that are about to take place. The shedding of leaves shows us that its ok to let go… that there will be beauty and good things to come again.  

The fall is a time to stop waiting… it’s the time to initiate change, it’s the time to push to assure that you are ridding yourself from the unneeded stresses of life. It’s the time when life starts all over again. I welcome September with open arms. I welcome the next cycle of my life. I accept the challenges I put forth for myself. I accept that there will be ups and downs, however I am confident that the choices I have made in my life, my experiences and my faith will allow me to get through any and all obstacles. I will slow down. I will sit and enjoy the moments that I will never get to experience again. I will love life.

Hello Beautiful.