I’m not sure if I am the person I thought I was. I’m starting to question everything I once thought true.
Me? Dramatic? Never! But it does feel like a big shift for me.
This summer-born baby…
This sun seeker…
This heat worshipper…
…might actually be an autumn girlie after all.
As we transition from summer (summer? What summer! I hear my fellow Britons cry!) to autumn - if you see the 1st September as autumn that is - it’s become quite a contentious topic of discussion. Are you team summer or team autumn? Do you crave the sun or do you revel in the cold? Maybe you prefer winter or spring. It seems to be a common theme - that season preferences seem to be as divisive as politics - okay, not quite, but almost.
It’s waking up in the dark, going to the work in the dark and coming home in the dark.
It’s the miserable weather on repeat for months.
It’s the lead up to Christmas where everything becomes more expensive and Christmas-min and activities are extreme.
These are just some of the reasons I’ve heard people dislike autumn and the colder seasons.
This week, I’ve found a whole new appreciation for autumn. And I might be starting to get this autumn hype and why it’s a viral trend on TikTok. In fact, I’m feeling almost guilty that I’ve failed to appreciate this season in the past. There is so much beauty to be had in autumn. The glimmers of autumn this week have proven this to me.
Sipping on my morning earl grey tea in the garden, wrapped up in a cosy blanket, watching the squirrel scurrying to meet its opponent: a robin.
Being urged to create a nature table at home (yes nature table are for adults, not just for classrooms) and feeling like a child again collecting nature’s autumnal gifts.
Big chunky knits, warm fluffy socks and sturdy boots to embrace the crisp air on long walks.
I can’t fathom now why it’s taken me so long to appreciate this season.
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For me, this season is a beautiful reminder of the in-between. It’s not hot, it’s not cold. There are the remains of summer and signals that winter is coming. The winter coat doesn’t need to make an appearance quite yet but slowly more layers are being added to the daily uniform. I don’t want to live on soups, stew and cheese completely but I’m browsing more and more cosy food recipes and relishing stodge over salad. It’s not completely dark but the lighter evenings are certainly fading away.
It’s a transitional season, preparing us for what’s to come. Is that why so many of us resist this season? It’s a time that’s not one or the other. Not completely hot, not completely cold. Not completely light, not completely dark. The weather is changing, the pace of life is changing and our mood and energy is changing. There is a shift. But no matter how hard we try to resist it, it’s coming. The cold is coming, the darkness is coming and the call to slow down is coming. It’s a time to prepare for what’s to come. We’re naturally thinking about winter and festive celebrations. But perhaps in our thinking ahead, we’re missing the joy that comes in the transition.
Autumn is unfolding, winter will come. We have a choice: do we lean into the now, knowing that what will come, will come? Or do we resist the change and miss the gift that is autumn?
Questions to ponder
What is your favourite season and why? What do you think your favourite season says about you and how you approach life?
How could you choose to embrace autumn? What’s one small autumnal glimmer you could seek out this week?
Love this and I actually love autumn 🍂. It’s such a cosy season of preparation as you say. It’s definitely one of my favourite seasons 🍁