Let Autumn In

I have always felt “melancholy” towards the end of summer. When I was younger, the very first sight of the harvest being taken in would strip me of something.  It used to feel like my soul; like it was the slow death of something.  Something sucking the lifeblood out of nature.

Told you I felt melancholy.     

This year was no different. Kind of.

For the last week or so I have been woken each morning by flocks of swallows dive-bombing the gable end of the house, cherry picking the daddy long legs that cling to the wall.  Stocking up before they make their flight to sunnier climes. 

When I go for a walk in the garden, the diehards that are left swoop and chatter above my head as they dip and dive for tasty flies.

Pretty soon, the skies will be empty.

When it is the very early days of spring I know which trees bud first.  In the same way, when autumn is chomping on the heels of summer, I know exactly where to look for the first red and brown leaves.

I think I’m primed to looking.  I can’t help it.  I look until I find.

From the beginning of August I knew each and every tree on the road with even just a tiny section changing colour. 

Now I don’t have to look.  Every tree has a red, orange or brown section.  Driving under a canopy of trees at a set of traffic lights each morning, I am guaranteed to have a couple confetti down onto the car.

Autumn is in.  Whether I like it or not.

And if I am to be totally honest it’s probably not autumn that bothers me; more the fact that winter follows autumn.

I don’t dig winter.

This year, though, I decided to face facts and let autumn in. 

It helps that, in my opinion, autumn is probably the most beautiful of the seasons and in that respect, my second favourite. 

I also happen to like Halloween more than Christmas and as that falls at the end of October it is another reason to put on my happy face.

Who doesn’t like a good bonfire on a darkening evening; the kids get to go trick or treating and enjoy their mid-term break.

One of my favourite blogs is called myinternalworld.  From the moment I discovered it, I felt she was talking to me.  She always has something to say, something that reaches out and connects with me. 

One of her recent posts, What Autumn Gives has inspired this blog post.

One piece of advice that struck a chord with me was fake it till you make it.  In other words, even if you don’t feel very cheerful, pretend you are.

Last weekend I went outside into the warm autumn sun and knelt down on the damp earth to plant spring bulbs.  Literally planting proof that summer is on its way when they peep above the ground next April.

Just this morning I didn’t feel like it when I woke up, but I decided I was going to bring 

Lovely Liam, Smallest Boy and Juno to the park after the school run.

We collected Gruffalo nuts, also known as acorns, for a nature table and for ourselves to plant as we do every year. 

Juno made two new doggy friends and I was hugged skinny by the boys for “an awesome visit to the park.”

I might have stumbled on the not so secret, secret, folks; keep it simple.  By far the way to go. Forget the Big Stuff. 

Take a moment to enjoy what is happening around you now and most of all, let autumn in.