Okay, so first of all, I just need to express my dismay at the speed with which this summer has, in actual fact, absolutely ripped past us, depositing us unceremoniously on the doorstep of September. It’s almost rude.
Now, of course, we all know that fall is my absolute favourite season, followed closely by winter, so I’m not exactly mad about it, but I will own that I have not shoe-horned in the amount of summertime funtivities I was looking forward to these past months.
Also, I know that summer ain’t over until autumn begins on the twenty-second of September, and far be it from me to rush us ahead of the season we’re in, but I am feeling a little pressure to jam in A LOT of summer activities into these last few weeks before the equinox makes it official.
This is a thing I do: procrastinate, wait, dawdle in the wondrous merriment of my non-linear relationship with time, and then panic because the picnic is packing up and I haven’t even gotten in the water yet. So then I’m all a-flurry of mashing in the things I was really intending to savour and enjoy.
Ugh. Being a human is hard. I’m super aware of my tendencies and I still freaking tend to repeat them.
Sigh.
Anyway, I’ve got grace for my humanity, so onwards: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: January is the literal worst time of year to declare New Year energy. It is categorically the dead of winter, and we’re all trying to rouse ourselves into some horrible mimicry of enthusiasm as we drag ourselves from our warm, cosy, dark caves and commence to propel ourselves into a better version of ourselves, probably fueled in no small part by a wellness industry whose profits rely on unrealistic comparison and our self loathing.
Uh, no thanks. These days, I’m following the seasons, because Mother (Nature) knows best.
Now, I know that I’m a huge nerd, which is a fact that I’m pretty proud of, actually, and I love school, so it’s unsurprising that I think September is a dead ringer for proper new year energy. I would say it’s tied with spring for good get-up-and-go-get-’em vibes. Maybe we need to have two new years? I wouldn’t say no to that.
Think of it: after the frenetic pace of summer, with all its vacation, summer-camp, making hay while the sun shines activity, fall comes in and tells us to start going to bed earlier and bringing a sweater. Summer is so frigging hot (and worryingly, only getting hotter) that it’s hard to drum up a lot of vigour for anything that requires a lot of focus or physical exertion. Lounging and relaxing in the sun are summertime occupations that match the weather.
Fall, though? It’s harvest season. It’s abundance and bounty, personified. All the growing has been done over the summer and now it’s time to reap the benefit, picking the literal fruits of summer’s slow labour, which will feed us and give us sustaining and nourishing energy for the wintry months ahead, when very little grows at all.
So what if the excitement I feel about September and all that new, back-to-school, ready-to-learn energy is not just because I’m a nerd for school, but also because that is one of the most natural times of year to embark on a new project, goal or venture?
What if, full of the good, fresh food so readily available this time of year, giving us good, fresh energy, we approached the end of the year with eager hearts and spirits?
What if we didn’t berate ourselves for what we have failed to accomplish (or at least not keep berating ourselves ad nauseam), but turned the energy we waste on self flagellation into realizing the year isn’t over yet, not by a long shot?
Four months is A LOT OF TIME to move things forward. I know the days are getting shorter, but there’s still plenty of light and the weather is still pretty nice. It’s a great time to get out there and move your life forward.
Fall is one of the most magical times of year. I realize I say this about all four seasons, but there’s something about autumn, in all her glory, gilding the dying things with gold, dancing between summer-like days and the whispers of brisk mornings, wisps of woodsmoke and fresh apples and hot coffees with the steam curling as the mug warms your hands. Pulling out boots and wearing sweaters but not yet coats.
Fall teaches us that endings don’t need to be passive: they can be glorious, active and beautiful.
If you were going to paint the end of this year with a symphony of colour and gild everything important to you with copper and gold, what would your coming months look like? How would your projects proceed if this was The Right Time to really dig into them, instead of giving up on them?
How would fall look and feel, if this was going to be the very best season of your life?
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