Now, when the leaves of
deciduous trees are great splashes of color against faded blue, when the air at
noon is still mild and hazy, when a few small birds still search the roadsides
for seeds and great swirls of starlings paint designs in the evening sky, now
is the moment to relax into the quiet,
If I had to choose just one
thing to believe in, it would be change. No matter how slowly it comes, change
is the one constant. I see it most clearly at this time of year when the leaves
turn from working green to carnival colors before falling to sleep at a tree’s
feet. There is mimicry in our human doings – those of us who watch nature match
our feelings accordingly, slowing our activities and our thoughts so that we
can get a good look at ourselves, at our bare bones of belief. Our own horizons
widen.
Mostly we are human doings,
not human beings. Frenetic activity suggests a purpose. The seasonal change
from summer to fall puts us on notice that there is worth in slowing down,
taking stock, using rest as a repair shop. We are reminded that we are
individuals in a group, that we have our own shape and a singular reason for
our existence.
