Can We Talk 2

Autumn

Day 2857: September 12, 2022

Prompt: Spring, Summer, Autumn, or Winter. Pick your favorite and write a tribute to it.

         There is something special about each of the seasons, and i am grateful to be alive in any of them. Autumn does seem to be kind of special, however. I think it goes back to my childhood and the anticipation of school and its activities. We never outgrow the feelings it arouses.

         It gets dark sooner, so I can't work in the yard as late. There's something nostalgic and sad about seeing the days getting shorter. Summer vacation is over, the winter lies ahead. The summer harvest is done; no more tomatoes, no squash, no watermelon. Even the basil is looking withered, along with the sage. The petunias are looking scrawny, no matter how much I groom them.

         As for housekeeping, I'm already thinking holidays. Washing the special dishes I only get out in the fall, spiffing up the dining room, decorations. It's too early for Halloween or Thanksgiving, but certainly fall style knick- knacks and flowers. I'll miss all the crafts fairs and harvest festivals this year, thanks to the Pandemic. Even my dad is thinking about holiday gatherings and meals. and what needs to be different.

         Dining out is not a good option this year. Buying catered food and serving here is viable, but not appetizing. I don't think my crowd is that hungry for institutional broccoli casserole. Cooking as usual and serving here is probably the best option. The family has started taking liberties anyway. It depends on the news and the cautions issued by then.

         So the fall brings a certain anxiety and busyness even without a dreaded disease chasing us. We welcome the cooler air, the change in colors, decreased humidity, and more darkness for more rest. More than that, autumn reminds us of our mortality. Spring is a happy time of rebirth and childhood and growing. Summer represents the full green productivity and activity of adulthood. If winter is our old age and the wait for death, then autumn is that last great burst of beauty before the winter of our lives. We slow down and cherish each day.