"Fall"ing into it...

Last week it rained and rained. It was still hot and the humidity became an assault to our minds. Everyday, I would wake up and look at the gloom and rain outside and expect the weather to be cold. There is something in the air. You can feel the subtle changes that heralds autumn's splendor. Maybe it is the aisles and aisles of paper, pencils, backpacks and school lunch boxes in the stores that tells our minds that fall is here, but I don't think so. You can feel the changes in the air. All around you screams that change is coming, it is already beginning. It is like your whole being bristles with the excitement that the cool is coming. The beautiful scenery is going to become even more beautiful. Colors are going to explode. We are going to glory in cooler weather, pumpkins, watching the children go to school and back. We can hear the cheers from the football field. Apples crisp our taste buds and gourds are found on doorsteps and tabletops.
We took Tanner and Emma to the lake Saturday, late in the afternoon. The beach was nearly deserted. The wind was blowing so hard that each little pebble on the sand had its own hollowed out ripple. The water looked so cold and gray, a big contrast from the lively blues just a few weeks ago. Tanner picked up sand in his fists and as he raised his hands to look at it, the wind blew it into his eyes. He had to rub his sandy fingers into his eyes to relieve the burn. Emma went straight for the water. It had to be so cold...no one was in the water. But it was warm enough that it took only a few minutes to get in and wet. I sat on the beach and marveled at the splendor. The sun sparkling against the water, the wind blowing so strongly. Sailboats whipping back and forth, taking advantage of the day. We are falling into autumn. It is hard to say good-bye to summer, so very hard. I don't want to let go of it. I look again at the world around me trying to align my heart and mind to the change that is inevitable. It is unmistakable. It is a glorious time of the year. The transition is so subtle, so gradual. Yet whether we are ready or not we fall into the next season effortlessly. And as I fall into autumn I fall in love with it all over again.