Autumn leaves...

As the leaves begin to fall and the plant kingdom dies and goes dormant underground, many people feel sadness, loss and grief. They say the veils between the worlds are thin. Many of us think about the passing of time, relatives who have passed and death. The cycle of life from autumn to winter sometimes brings a natural cocooning and a return to the internal life. The loss of the light can bring depression. The cold can make us tighten up. "To everything there is a season..turn turn turn..and a time to every purpose under heaven."

My mind gets crisper in the fall like the air but I know my energies go internal in the dark time. I feel my thoughts going to nesting my house, cooking warm foods, getting cozy with friends, the dream time and my couch. If we can keep the fires burning in our hearts and minds....if we can stay connected to friends and family as the cold winter winds blow we might feel a little warmer.

if we remember the love that connects us to those dear, even if they are departed, we can feel whole. If we are in tune with our life, living it well, perhaps we can accept death when it comes. The ripening, the harvest, the time to rest in winter, the coolness. These are blessings too.

Taking special note of the changing quality of the light during the fall, observing the richness of color, the drama of the shadows, I watch out for a special leaf falling in my path and maybe a lingering flower bloom. Each falling leaf can be a miracle.

Remembering ancestors, family, the passing of time..can make our hearts ache with sadness and the echoes of love and loss. Giving Thanks for our lives, our loves and our losses, we have reached another year to celebrate. There is much is to be thankful for. So as we round the corner...another turn around the sun...we get ready for the cold and the dark coming..and with it the fertile ground for rebirth.