Yesterday was the first day of Autumn.
And here I was,
spouting off about something
as mundane as crackers.
But, that's how life is, you know.
We are always too busy doing
the truly unimportant things-
while the things that matter
go unnoticed.
We are so caught up in going-
doing-getting-
that we fail to breathe.
And how sweet the Autumn air!
I look out upon the treeline
and see hints of orange and red-
dying leaves turning colors
for our pleasure-
the sky growing inky and cool
for our entertainment.
I also see days lost.
Time that cannot be recovered.
Birds flew.
Flowers bloomed.
Sun set.
Grass grew.
The calendar grew thin.
There were falling stars
and butterflies
and lilacs sharing their soft perfume-
and where was I?
Probably worrying about
what to fix for dinner,
when to pay the electric bill,
or watching Oprah.
The stars burned out.
The butterflies fluttered away.
The lilacs wilted into
purple puddles on the
spring ground.
And I missed it.
My husband is always teasing me
that I'm off picking flowers
when important things need done.
It's true.
But is fixing the roof
or washing the car
or repairing the lawnmower
really more important
than gathering Black-eyed Susans
or freeing the milkweed silk
or hunting smooth stones
or finding pretty leaves?
I find myself drawn to nature.
As though it is the only
door to sanity.
I sometimes feel like I must
touch it,
feel it,
be surrounded by it
in order to function.
I feel like it is telling me to
slow down,
take it easy,
be grateful.
So...
Take today to open your eyes,
fill up your senses,
and saturate your heart
with the important things in life.
Autumn is here.
But Autumn is short.
The calendar indeed grows thin...
