The morning air was cool today. 60 degrees when I awoke but it will reach 75 degrees by noon. I feel the beginnings of fall in the air. The leaves are starting to appear on the ground so the trees must feel it too. I saw flannel shirts being worn at the pancake breakfast today so other people must feel it too.

Fall holds such a combination of emotions for me. I’m reminded of the brazen hope of middle school; of hoodies and football games and running about in the dark, of such utter honesty and the sting of disappointment. Even so, I find myself looking forward to the changing of the season even though with it comes the end of green, growth, and the warmth of the sun. Each year the leaves fall, the cool breeze comes, and nature begins her long slumber.

Fall finds a different kind of comfort for me. Not the harsh glare of the sun but the warm embrace of extra layers; as the temperature drops and the day shortens, the trees lose their coverings and we are forced to don ours. Perhaps this is a reminder for us that there is a time and season for everything. A time to bask in the warmth of the sun and a time to bundle-up and find warmth from within.