The times they are a changing.

It’s that time of year again. The time has changed, the leaves have changed, the weather has changed….I love the Fall season; the smell of wood burning in fireplaces, the burning leaves, the aroma of pumpkin pies and sweet potato pies baking in the oven, savory stews and soups that replace the sandwich meals of summer. The sugar maple in our side yard has been ever bit as glorious this year as it has in past years. It looks like it is aflame in the explosion of reds, oranges and yellows with some green leaves still hanging on to their color deep within its canopy. In fact, last year on a retreat in the Cumberland foothills near Sewanee, Tennessee, I noticed that while the foliage there was a wild riot of color, the forests of these Mississippi hills are just as colorful and vibrant. The Southern States should not sell themselves short when it comes to fall foliage colors. New England and the Rockies might have a longer, more predictable Fall color season than we do, but we do have some beautiful vistas to see. While I was on my retreat, the weather took a rather nasty turn for the worse and the temps plummeted to heavy frost over night. I listened to the wind howling outside my window and when morning came, the only view I had of the mountain vista was a pea soup fog. When I walked downstairs for breakfast I looked out at the parking lot and could not even see van. I noticed a sign in the lobby that read, “Welcome to St. Mary’s. You may arrive in a fog, but you will leave walking in the light.” I chuckled at the appropriateness of it. It was well into the afternoon of the next day before that fog lifted and I could see the brillant blue sky. Sometimes, I think the season of Fall puts me and others into a figurative fog. The weather changes and time changes seem to affect some more than others. The other changes that occur are, we see the anticipation of the national candy night ritual of Halloween and then it’s gone and Christmas is suddenly breathing down our necks. My husband and I have had an enormous Christmas light show for several years that takes him all year to plan and work on. He has to start putting lights up during October and right up until Thanksgiving Day so we can flip the switch that night. I love Christmas, but I feel like we forget about Thanksgiving in the process of all the hustle and bustle of the Santa’s and packages and decorations. I have been making a list of all the things I am thankful for; things like a warm, dry home, good health, my husband and daughters, my sister, my mother, the freedom to worship, the freedom to vote and I can just keep going on. I hope during this changing season, that as you see the leaves changing and the days getting shorter and nights getting longer, that you take the time to reflect on how changes affect you and those around you. It is definitely time to sit down and take stock of all that we have to be thankful for.