I like to think that I am in the autumn of my life. It also happens to be my favorite season. Maybe that’s because I celebrate my birthday in the fall and so do most of my grandchildren. My wedding anniversary is in this time of year as well. It’s a happy prelude filed with all the colors, tastes, aromas and sounds that I love. After the long hot summers of Texas, fall is a welcome change with sometimes cool mornings and evenings that require a sweater or a light blanket. On the best days I can light a fire in our fireplace and find luscious tangerines in the produce department at the store. Best of all pumpkin pies and pumpkin cheesecakes are everywhere. 

There are lots of fun places and events that happen each fall and I don’t have to worry as much about weeds growing in my garden so I have the time to enjoy it all. I like to visit the ocean and spend time at the annual bulb and flower mart. I finally feel cool enough to walk around my neighborhood or sit in my backyard watching the birds skittering about. Everything is more fun without the blazing sun that burns my skin and makes me feel hot and impatient to get back inside.

Autumn is a time for family and remembering, a time for contemplation and thanksgiving. It’s the season of my life when I have been taking stock of what I have done and what I think I may still need to do before winter comes and I am no longer as able as I now am. The reality is that the springs and summers of my youth are behind me. There is no turning back. Winter will come but for now I want to revel in autumn. I still teach and tutor just as I always have at this time of year. I turn aging bananas into delightful bread. So too do I enjoy each moment of each day and continue to learn something new as I travel through the changes of life. 

I embrace my autumn. It is a time when all of senses feel alive and I feel no guilt in wasting an entire day reading a book or writing about a bit of nonsense. I’ve earned this moment to be carefree and joyful. Who knows what tomorrow my bring? Storms may come my way. Winter may arrive sooner than I had hoped. Life will change again so I want to savor each moment in the now.

I have decorated my home just as I always do. I have pumpkins of orange, yellow, green and brown. A wreath with colorful leaves in on my door. My tables is set with woven placemats that hold the stews and soups that I make for dinner. I have candles that smell of apples and spices. My home looks and feels its loveliest at this time of year. It is as though it has been waiting for me to return the vibrancy that autumn brings. 

My mother always seemed to stay well in the fall. Maybe that’s another reason that I love it so. We would almost forget her bipolar disorder. She would be happy and serene all the way through Christmas before another bad time came along. She too felt calmer and more in tune with the surroundings much like I have always done when autumn roll around. She and I had so much fun together from September to December. 

I love the clothes that I wear in the fall. I like my short boots and light sweaters. I actually look rather nice in brown and some shades of orange. I always fell into the autumn ranges in those color classifications that used to be all the rage at home makeup parties. I look washed out in the pastels of spring and the summer shades are not much better for me. Even my hair seems to be totally meant for this time of year. 

On a more serious note I suppose that I am in the autumn of my health. Things are are wearing out, sagging and falling. Hips and backs and knees are complaining when I work too much. I poop out much more quickly than I once did. My eyes are not as sharp, my hands are not as strong . I suspect that cataract surgery is in my future and nobody mistakes me for a young woman anymore. I am slower at completing tasks but I am still capable of doing it all, just not quickly.

I often think that those of us who are Baby Boomers are overdue in just easing into autumn and enjoying quieter lives. We can’t and should not keep trying to run the world. It’s time for the young folk who are still enjoying the summer of life to take the lead. They have some great ideas and they deserve a chance to demonstrate them. We can offer wisdom if they ask but we should not force ourselves on them. If we did a good job of bringing them along they will surely be just fine. 

I saw a wonderful quote in the fall issue of Magnolia magazine that really captures how am am feeling in this moment so here it is for you to enjoy as well:

Remember, nature whispers, there is time for all. Soften the urgency and move with ease, patience is your ally on this journey of change.