Let’s just be honest, out of the four seasons, fall is the most dramatic. She is the loudest and most vibrant. She takes up all the space in the room. You just have to pay attention to fall. She’s the one at the party who’s had a little too much punch and is graciously singing Celine Dion to everyone. Her fancy name is autumn equinox (Sept. 22) and in her honor, I’m blogging about what she means to me. And I’d really love to know what she means to you!
When I think of fall, I think of school deadlines, pumpkin- scented candles, mulled cider, camping, chilly nights, over-sized sweaters, long bike rides in state parks, eating waxy candy corn, chili with sour cream, long prayers during the sunset, little fellas dressed up in handmade or store-bought costumes. I remember each year that my grandmother showed up at my family’s front door with a scary Halloween mask on, magically changing her sweet voice to something wretched. I think about couch cuddling, scraping the frost off my car, smelling the wood burning in the fireplace, and jumping up and down in place for warmth. I think about cute scarves and hot, homemade casseroles. I think about the excitement of the upcoming holiday season and all the traditions accompanying it.
I think about fall funerals and fall birthdays. As I think about the changing of summer to fall, I think about how people come and go for certain seasons of life, making me even more grateful for those that persist, walking with me season after season. I think about how leaves are actually the organs of the tree and even though the trees lose such vital appendages, they still survive, even thrive come spring.
What does fall mean to you? What fall traditions are you looking forward to?
If you are reading this, know that I’m sending you love this fall. Hoping that you’ll be kind to yourself this season, hoping that you’ll do things to fill yourself up and make you remember that your story matters, hoping you have conversations with inspiring friends that help you believe in yourself again.
Be sure to let me know some of your fall traditions!
Tales of a Sojourner 
Hi Kate,Had to share a little reply…When I was 14, in 1967, I found out quite suddenly that I was moving from NJ to Nashville…just before starting highschool. Was quite a shock, with scarcely time to think about the change before it happened. I landed in a lovely new subdivision in Brentwood, back when the area was practically unpopulated compared to today…our house was the 10th home in this big neighborhood….that looked cold and barren to me compared to our place in NJ. I felt very alone and was the strange northern girl at Franklin High. One October afternoon, I sat on my front porch on the ground with my arms around my bent knees, looking up at the wooded hillside across the Harpeth River. It was a divine appointment with the living God. I was raised by very fine parents, but not really taught much about the Lord. That day, looking up at the extraordinary fall colors on the little hillside, God breathed into my heart the truth that HE IS. I knew it, felt it, and was deeply moved by it….and kept it sort of to myself. It was really not until 4 years later that I heard my first gospel message from a Baptist pastor that I had a clue who Jesus really was. I was singing Gospel music with a legend in that genre, and it wasn't until a few months after I started that I finally understood WHO I was singing about. There has NEVER been a single autumn since 1967 that God has not reminded me of that first day on my porch, and He always overflows my heart with awe when I see the leaves start to unveil their colors. Now, as a last thought…One of my very favorite fall foliage challenges is to look for the amazingly cool leaves falling off of Bradford Pears. YOu have to get close to them…they have bright crimson and rich gold all on the same tree, but tucked in there are these leaves that look like stained glass ink blots…the coolest patterns and designs that you'd never see unless you go look for them. Keep your eye out for some….And be reminded that God speaks so boldly through the wonders of his creation! Love you! Lani
Love this story, Lani! Thanks for sharing it– it’s a beautiful memory to continue to be reminded of each year as the advent of fall approaches! The seasons that the Creator brings forth are powerful reminders of the sections of life.