Winter is coming... the leaves are falling. The trees stand “naked,” as my grandma used to say.

There’s a sadness and stillness in the air... as the birds are leaving in masses, not to be seen for many months.

The nights will grow quieter, darker, colder.

Okay

Summer is leaving us once again, and with it, goes the liveliness of the earth. The bright orange, deep red, cheerful pink flowers will be replaced with brown crackling leaves under our feet.

I’ve always struggled with the transition into fall and winter. Spring and summer always brought excitement and energy into my life, yet I rarely feel the same during the rest of the year. So, when I realized that I’ve limited myself to feeling genuine joy and energy for only half the year, I tried to change my perspective.

If I could find a way to love the changing of the seasons, how would I do it?

So, I searched for the beauty in the dying leaves.

With fall comes a different type of play—Oktoberfest, corn mazes, Halloween, pumpkin carving, Thanksgiving, warm cozy blankets, and pumpkin spice lattes. There’s a lot to love, and we’re all surrounded by this calm yet excited energy. So, why can’t I also enjoy nature as it settles down for winter, too?

It did its job. It bloomed, fed, nurtured us all for many months. I guess, just like me, it also deserves a period of rest.

And rest can be a beautiful thing, for unless we give ourselves permission to relax and honor our own “seasons of work,” we will drive ourselves into nothingness. We will, as the plants would, wither.

To allow the blooms to occur again in the spring, I have to appreciate the beauty that was already provided to me all summer, not demand more, and let nature rest.

The changing of seasons is a reminder to be grateful for what we've had and to look forward to what's to come. When we learn to savor the present moment, we can find beauty even in the simplest of things, like the sound of leaves crunching beneath our feet.

So the next time you go outside, take a look at the yellow leaves hanging by a thread, and feel gratitude for the beautiful, colorful summer they worked tirelessly to provide.