Learning from and celebrating the change of seasons

Ah, September! You are the doorway to the season that awakens my soul.

Peggy Toney Horton

Changing leaves, crisp morning air, apple cider, boots, pumpkin spice, and sweaters. My favorite season is almost upon us: fall. While it’s not quite here yet, the anticipation of my favorite time of the year fills me with warmth and happiness. This season truly does awaken my soul. For me, fall is a time to slow down, appreciate nature, and be thankful. It’s also made me reflect on the lessons we can learn in life from the changing of seasons.

Appreciating change

The transition from summer to fall teaches us to appreciate change; it is a natural part of life. There will always be twists and turns, highs and lows in different seasons of our lives. Just as we anticipate the changing of the seasons as our favorite one comes upon us, this time teaches us to let go and wait for the next best thing.

Each of the seasons offers us something different and unique to look forward to. Winter is a time for us to be still and reflect inward, spring brings us hope and new life. Summer brings joy and adventure, and fall teaches us to let go and release the burdens that we have been holding onto.

I know that some people don’t share my love of fall and may even dread the ending of summer. As we may grieve the ending of our favorite seasons, we can also give ourselves permission to grieve when our lives change and different seasons of life come to a close. But we must not remain in our grief. Just as there is always something new to look forward to even in our least favorite seasons, the same is true in life. Though things may be changing, we can always find something to look forward to in a new chapter. We never know what beautiful things God has planned ahead for us.

The seasons teach us to embrace change, even when the change may not seem positive. Some people dislike fall because it means that winter is coming and it seems like a time when everything is dying. But nature embraces this slow time of temporary death in order to be reborn again in the spring and bring beauty and life to the earth. Perhaps we can also learn to embrace the difficult seasons of change in our lives and begin to see how vital they are for our self-growth.

We can even learn something from the trees in the fall. As they let go of their leaves we can also let go of regrets and all that is holding us back from new growth. Instead of staying stuck in the past, we can begin to let go as we look forward to new seasons in our lives. Just as nature does, we can learn to welcome change.

Celebrating the new season with mindfulness

Life is all about transition and change. Learning to embrace and make the most of these times helps us to live our lives to the fullest. As we look towards a new season, before we get swept up in the busyness that comes with the holidays that will be upon us before we know it, may we take some time to celebrate and savor the season of change that lies before us.

For me, celebrating fall is all about being more mindful. There are so many benefits of mindfulness. We can add more joy to our lives by slowing down and taking time to appreciate the season through each of our senses. This is what mindfulness is all about—being more present in our lives by engaging the senses. The fall season is the perfect time to practice this.

Choosing a fall scent to sweetly inhale every time I walk in my living room is something that I look forward to each year. It’s a simple pleasure that brings me more joy than one might expect. Buy yourself a fall scented candle and let the aroma of apple cider or pumpkin spice delight your senses.

Let yourself savor the tastes of the season and enjoy a good autumn meal or seasonal drink. There are so many good fall recipes to warm your soul as the weather gets chilly. I like to treat myself to a pumpkin cream cold brew coffee from Starbucks every now and then and the taste always brings me joy during this season.

Indulge your sense of touch and be comforted by the feel of a soft sweater or your favorite blanket. Listen to the leaves as they blow in the autumn wind. Take a weekend drive when the leaves begin to change and really appreciate the beauty of God’s artwork this time of year.

There is so much to celebrate and appreciate in this coming season if we take the time to slow down and really engage our senses. There can be beauty in change if we can learn to embrace it as it comes into our lives. May we fill the coming days with mindfulness and learn to appreciate the changes ahead of us just as Mother Nature does.