Happy First Day of Fall
Today is the first day of fall. And what a wonderful, beautiful season that is. There’s a tree right outside Anna’s window that is starting to turn. The bottom half is completely green and the top half is speckled with the brightest red. It almost looks like Christmas. The kids noticed it yesterday and started screaming. “It’s turning red! It’s turning red!”
Seems I’ve passed my love of fall down to them, or maybe Ryan did. He loves making a big pot of soup on a Sunday afternoon with football on in the background or playing sports with the kids in the back yard. Or maybe the kids are just smart and can detect a good thing on their own when they see it.
Unlike other seasons, fall seems to lure you in with all the senses. I love the smell of cinnamon, and bonfires, baked apples, and everything pumpkin. Everything feels extra cozy - a favorite sweater that’s been packed away for the summer, jeans, a warm blanket over my legs at a football game and knitted scarves. Think of the sounds of kids playing outside or leaves crunching underfoot, favorite college fight songs, or the soft flicker of a fire. And the sights. It’s as if, while we were sleeping, God went around with a paintbrush and red, yellow, orange, and brown paint and made a masterpiece for us to marvel at. And the tastes of fall are the best! Fall baking is something my family always looks forward to. They love pumpkin bread, and apple pie, and pretty much anything with cinnamon. Throw in a little apple cider and maybe a pumpkin spice late and it’s officially fall.
My favorite thing about fall is making memories with the kids. If something is a hit, you better believe it’ll be a “tradition” and they’ll ask to do it again next year which is fine with me. I grew up in a house that made the most of this season too. I have the added bonus of having a Birthday in the fall, so my mom and dad always made that time special for me by making my favorite homemade applesauce or a bonfire for my friends. I have some of the best memories from fall in my house, and I hope my kids will too. I hope they won't just remember the leaves and weather, but the time we spent together loving and laughing and playing.
The most profound truth is God made this beautiful season for us to experience, but what’s really happening is everything is dying. God wants us to pay attention with all our senses. He wants to stop us in our tracks and have us look up. At the beautiful red leaves, at the pristine blue sky, to the heavens and say “You are magnificent”. You are an artist painting creation and even death is beautiful, because we know spring will come and just like your son Jesus, new life.
I hope you have a great first day of fall. Take a walk and stand in awe of the beauty, enjoy a yummy drink, or just spend time with someone you love. Do whatever you like to do in this season because it’s a gift from our creator. And if you find yourself looking at a tree and wanting to scream, “It’s turing red! It’s turning red”, go ahead and do it.
Blessings,
Shannon