Fleeting Fall

I guess it’s official: the parade of Halloween dress-ups have knocked on my door, taken their treats and sauntered off into the unknown, a full harvest moon shone with breath-taking beauty and the clocks have been turned back an hour—another season made its debut. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems as though someone is out there compressing the days to make everything go by so much faster. Didn’t we say goodbye to summer a brief moment ago? Before long, stuffing will be the order of the day—and I’m not just referring to what goes inside a turkey. More than one human will do his or her share at the Thanksgiving buffet. Crumbs will scarcely be shaken from the tablecloth before the frenzied countdown to complete Christmas shopping begins. Each year my inner being pleads with me to stop; back away from the daily barrage of activities and seek another quieter path. The animals rest in winter, the trees and plants take time to regenerate and the days grow shorter. It was planned that way. Maybe nature has something to tell us. I’m ready to listen