This season of autumn is one of my favorite seasons. Autumn never fails to teach and show us three significant lessons.
1. Letting go in order to be transformed, embracing change in glorious, colorful splendor. Autumn is a time for releasing things that have been a burden. As we watch leaves fluttering to the ground in the fall, we are reminded that nature’s cycles are mirrored in our lives. Many traditions pay tribute to such acts of relinquishment. Fall is a wonderful role-model for us – get out of the way and let transformation take charge of our lives as we let go…let go of unwelcome fears, let go of unhealthy expectations, and let go of the great energy zapper, resentment…let go, move forward, grow and heal.
2. Autumn shows us how to balance darkness and light. Naturally, many of us prefer light over darkness. During this season of autumn, day and night are of equal length. They both have something to offer. Many people prefer light over darkness, yet new life can come from the dark. “Not only is light a welcomed part of our life, but we can be transformed when we befriend our inner darkness”. (Joyce Rupp, Little Pieces of Light, 1994) Just like the falling leaves – when we accept and befriend the light and the dark, we can move forward, grow and heal.
3. Autumn reminds us of the impermanence of life. Death is a part of life. Just like the falling leaves you have to let go in order to move forward, grow and heal. The poet Wallace Stevens once wrote, “Death is the mother of beauty.” What those words say to us is that we cherish the beauty of a sunset, of a Vermont autumn afternoon walk, of a relationship, of a child’s hug, precisely because those things will not be around forever and neither will we be around to enjoy them.
So dear friends, while enjoying the stunning beauty of color, crispy days and playing in the leaves, allow yourself to be open and transformed by this glorious Autumn Season.
Margaret Frances Riley
