The Trees are in their autumn beauty

The other evening prior to attending an event at the Indian Prairie Library, I parked my car and as I stepped out, I noticed all of these tiny orange leaves that were falling from the trees that decorated the parking lot. As I approached the building, it occurred to me that autumn was upon us, and warmer days would soon give way to cooler evenings, lite sweaters and coats and crisper, autumn air. Several days later, we received an invite to go to dinner with several couples, followed by an evening sitting outside by their fire pit, enjoying a drink, some lite desserts and friendly conversation. When we went home that evening I knew it was time to say goodbye to September and say hello to October and all the changes that autumn would bring to our lives.

When I was young, to me, the advent of October meant that winter was approaching; and rather than appreciating the beauty of autumn, my mind focused in more on the cold and snowy weather that awaited me. At that young age, I lacked an appreciation for the beauty of the autumn months; now that I am in what some consider the autumn of my life, I enjoy the beauty of our different seasons, with a special appreciation for autumn. As Albert Camus stated “autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower,” and Jacqueline Woodson stated with a pensive heart, "he loved October. Had always loved it. There was something sad and beautiful about it—the ending and beginning of things."

Maybe it takes growing older, slowing life down to appreciate all the beauty that nature offers throughout the year. If I could go back and talk to the young man who regretted October and the coming of autumn, I would advise him to slow life down and acknowledge the beauty that comes with the fall season. Knowing how I was back then, I probably wouldn’t have listened to that advice; I needed the experience of living to my current age to appreciate the world around me. I now sit back and enjoy the things that autumn brings to my life, for "the trees are in their autumn beauty, the woodland paths are dry, Under the October twilight the water Mirrors a still sky." I hope all of you have an opportunity to enjoy a Friday football game under a clear October sky, the smile of a jack-o-lantern, the joy of trick or treaters, the beautiful color of the leaves so prevalent in the Midwest, and to simply enjoy an evening sitting around a fire and just enjoying the company of friends. Happy October Darien!