Autumn in the Air

A happy new year to those of you celebrating Rosh Hashanah. September is a time of renewal, perhaps moreso than January. The combination of a new school year and the crispness in the air leads to a new sense of purpose for me. I get new notebooks and sharpen my pencils, jotting down all sorts of goals-- what I'm going to read, what I plan to create, what I'd like to see. As I head indoors, I begin nesting again, looking for ways to make the house cozy, buying more comfort foods, brewing an extra pot of tea, lighting a candle as the sun sets. I take out sweaters and scarves, stockings and boots, envisioning brisk walks with the dog surrounded by falling leaves.

I haven't always felt this way. Autumn was merely a precursor to a long, dreaded winter, but these days I realize I don't have time for dreading anything. Life is a series of fleeting, flickering moments and to dread anything as constant as the change in seasons is to waste precious time.