As a young girl, I memorized the words to this poem and use to recite it when neighbors requested a “trick” on Halloween. (Back in the “old days” that was a thing.) The first stanza has stayed with me for many years.

Autumn is my happy season. I can never get enough of the colors of the changing leaves. They lift my heart and soul. It is like they are reimagining what they can be. Yes, they can be brittle and cracked, but they blanket the earth like Grandma’s beautiful patchwork quilt. Autumn has a beauty all its own.

Autumn has taken on new meaning lately. Being in my sixth decade of life, I tend to believe I am in the autumn of my life – at least I hope it is still autumn! I am beginning to reimagine what life can/will be when I retire from teaching in a few years – thinking about what I’d like to do. What will Act II of my life consist of?

Like the changing leaves, my hair color is changing. The gray that use to just be near my ears is weaving its way through my sandy brown hair, and I am OK with it. No hair dye for me. I’ve earned each and every one of those grays. Like the changing leaves, aging can be beautiful especially since it is a gift not afforded to everyone.

Nature teaches us that autumn is a season for letting go, so that’s what I am trying to work on this year – letting go.

• of expectations
• of being critical of myself
• of “things” I have collected over the years
• of worrying about things that are out of my control
• of doing things I don’t want to do just because someone thinks “I should”
• of situations that don’t add joy to my life

What is your happy season? Nature has so many lessons to teach us if only we would be attentive students.