Fall is a season of transition. A season marked in our area by the change of colors, from green to red, gold, orange and brown. It is a time of work: whether school or harvest. It anticipates the holiday season and end-of-year reports. Autumn moves between the warmth of summer and the cold of winter with a rhythm of its own.
There was a day, not so very long ago, when the majority of Americans lived in the country, not the city. A time in which people were closer to the rhythm of the season and their lives bent to more naturally to autumn. Each season had its joys and its tasks. Fall brought relief from heat while forcing preparation for the wintertime to come.
Today our indoor air quality remains constant all year and, while winter may bring the inconvenience of outerwear, seasons are marked by the change in sports, not tasks. They are tolerated, but they don’t control our lives. We are insulated from the old realities that controlled life.
I, for one, do not want to go back.
Still, perhaps a healthy lifestyle includes awareness of ancient realities and accommodations. By finding the time to connect, every year, with this season of change, I am reminded to be grateful for life itself. Weighty tasks are brought into perspective and the heavy transitions of life are given a context.
So a walk in the Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve or along the Riverwalk may not change the world, but it may help with its appreciation – especially if you can share it with someone important to you.
Grace and Peace.