Samhain Publishing Ltd Weblog

Welcome to Autumn

Welcome to Autumn
By
N. J. Walters

Autumn has arrived with all her splendor. This is my favorite time of year. Don’t get me wrong, I love summer—those long, hot days that seem to last forever. But fall is the time of new beginnings for me. There is nothing quite like inhaling the first lungful of crisp, autumn air to make me feel invigorated and alive.

Maybe it goes back to my childhood where each September heralded the start of a new school year. Remember those days of new school clothes, new teachers, reconnecting with old friends and making new ones? The smell of chalk and new textbooks mingled with the unmistakable scent of new sneakers and blue jeans with the tags barely clipped off. There was always such anticipation in the air. The possibilities were limitless. The slate was wiped clean and everyone was beginning anew.

Nature senses the impending transformation too. Trees change color, their green leaves turning to a brilliant array of gold, red and burnt orange that sets the countryside ablaze. They are putting on their final show before bidding us adieu until next spring. Birds start to migrate, heading for warmer climes. They drop in on feeders in suburban backyards, filling up for the flight south. The small, furry animals that inhabit the woodland areas are scurrying to stock up food for the impending snowy season. Everyone is busy as they sense the coming change.

If autumn is a time of new beginnings it is also a time of endings. Summer vacation is over and the long, hot days are replaced with shorter, cooler ones. The sun sets earlier each day, inviting the darkness to take precedence. People bundle up in sweaters and coats as they go about their daily business. Soon they will be turning up the heat in their homes and wrapping up in blankets as they curl up on their sofas and watch the evening news. (At least in the cool weather climates.)

The nice thing about this time of year is that there are plenty of holidays that invite us to celebrate all the change that surrounds us. Halloween arrives with its ghosts and goblins, encouraging all of us to embrace the dark of the season instead of fearing it. Thanksgiving offer us a respite from the onset of the cold and dark. It is a time of gathering. A time of giving thanks for family and friends and the fact that there is food on the table and a roof over our heads, something I never take for granted.

So instead of bemoaning the end of the summer this year, embrace the arrival of fall. It has vibrancy and life in the midst of death, new beginnings in the midst of endings and limitless possibilities!

You can check out my Jamesville books at http://samhainpublishing.com/authors/n-j-walters

N.J. has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

http://www.njwalters.com
http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/awakeningdesires/ (newsletter group)