To Fall or Fly

The calendar tells the story of a new season’s arrival. We feel it in our bones with the falling temperatures and brisk winds. Before long, we’ll admire colorful bursts of red and orange leaves while sipping hot chocolate or tea. We’ll exchange flip flops and bathing suits for boots, hats, scarves, and coats in anticipation of what comes next. Wait. Before jumping to ahead to winter, let’s pause to crunch the leaves, savor fall’s natural beauty, and hang on to the moment. It might feel like this: 

                                         https://youtu.be/rKUipxR3bDc

Given those conditions, they better hold on to something solid before they’re blown away. The wind plays a one-sided tug-o-war game and it’s close to winning. A slightly stronger blast will send someone flying. If you feel like unseen hands tug at your life, pulling you in directions you don’t want to go, who or what would you put on the other side of that struggle? 

Your End Game

Most people love this time of the year—the lights, the festivities, the gifting—there are downsides, too, like the traffic, the stress, and the leaves. Sure, they looked beautiful hanging from trees, but now they litter the ground looking like a lot of work. Few people enjoy raking leaves. Families try to make it a fun time, but it’s only the little leaf pile-jumpers who enjoy the event, and usually after a series of questions like, “Are we done yet?” or “Can we get a snack?” and the straight-to-the-point comment, “This stinks!”

As soon as the leaves are cleared, we realize that we forgot to look up. When we do, we spot tree branches still harboring enough leaves to fill several bags. Here’s how we’d like to handle things:

                                          https://youtu.be/VsNdmRB-kF4

Sometimes, regardless of how painful the journey feels, the only thing we can do is go through the process. It’s okay to have a moment of moaning and groaning, but then we need to pick up our rakes and get to work making things better. What work do you need to finish to reach the better side of a tough situation?

    

Remember the Time

The atmosphere feels wrong. With October over and the ghouls put away, we normally tumble headlong into holiday preparations. The stores responded on cue by selling everything we need to move forward, but given the 70-degree temperatures, things feel off-kilter. The weather suggests showers, flowers, and endless sunshine as if spring and summer are around the corner. Sea-saw temperatures leave us guessing about what tomorrow holds. Let’s hope it’s not this scenario:

                                         https://youtu.be/St1AqmmQ3Io

 We’re living in unprecedented times, breaking records on all fronts—in the weather, in the culture, and in our political climate. What unprecedented life event will you always remember?