Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Autumn's Arrival

September 22, 2009; the first day of Autumn.

I'm glad to say goodbye to summer. Blasphemous talk? I don't think so. I'm ready to surrender the summer to autumn, to let one season pass into the next. Maybe it's because the colors of fall have always been my favorite. Maybe it's because autumn marks the start of reflection, quieter times, indoor activities, cooler weather, balmy skies. I'm ready.

Today I looked back at a blog post from this date in 2007. I posted a poem called Resignation, by J. D. McClatchy, a lovely tribute to the beautiful stoicism of trees. As we transition into a new season, trees remind us again of the richness of living; the cycles of life, death, growth, transformation, injury, loss, repair, and inner strength.

Today I looked into my own backyard and pondered the bank of Leyland cypress that we planted a year ago (left); young trees that took hold in the spot where neighbors had so cruelly and thoughtlessly felled mature Leylands several years prior. Our new young trees absolutely loved the summer of 2009. They grew at least 3 feet in height and spread out to touch one another in warm embrace, filling in the wall of green that will cover once again the fence line that separates our properties. The photograph I took this morning shows how much they've grown over the past year.

Trees. Healing sorrows. Standing proud. We have much to learn from trees.

Happy Autumn all.

2 comments:

  1. The cypress trees are beautiful. Autumn here has started with Indian summer, which is always a pleasant surprise. I am ready for a change.

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