The Flowers of Autumn

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. — Albert Camus

The magic of autumn has filled the air with golden ripeness. The shortened days and chilling winds add a pleasing crispness to life. All around, Nature paints the scenery with exuberant sparks from a blazing palette. The seeds of spring have long since matured or turned to dust. The season crackles with nectarous vitality. In the lengthening evenings, there is time for reflection on past harvests and plans for the future. But the flowers of Autumn can bring bouts of melancholy as well. One can become disheartened mulling over the implications of mortality which drift down like golden motes on a late afternoon.

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face. — John Donne

The list of “what ifs” has shortened considerably, but a few gold dust dreams endure. No one knows how many heartbeats they have been granted. But the songs of those beats — symphony or dirge; march or rumba — play out in the great hall of the soul. The hesitant preludes of youth give way to melancholy ballads and, if fortunate, glorious romantic concertos. The sultry sizzle of summer inevitably yields to the intimate mellifluous mellow whispers of autumn. And chase gives way to grace.

Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn. — John Muir

Jubilation calls from the sparkling cerulean vault of the sky to the shimmering mirror of the deep. Come join Nature’s sensual feast. The journey has been long but is not over. Linger in Autumn’s joyous embrace. Celebrate both the fruits of fortune and the spices of misfortune. Read from the forest’s red-orange pages scattered across the ground. Thrill to the crinkle and crack. Appreciate life’s vintage ambrosia with its moldering undertones of decay. Gather up morsels of accumulated wisdom before the long shadows of twilight fall.

You are never too old to become younger! — Mae West

The joys of Autumn can be all too brief for some. A single misstep or unforeseen malady can strike one down and bring down winter’s cold breath at the back and icy fingers along the spine. But Autumn can also bring a rejuvenation of the spirit. The restorative tonics of acceptance and forgiveness reinvigorate the soul. Time slows. Equilibrium is achieved. Happiness flourishes in the splendor of gratitude. Age becomes simply a number again and not a symptom.

Maturity is when all of your mirrors turn into windows. — Henry David Thoreau

The vibrancy of uncounted days powers Autumn’s hope-filled moments. Do not look back at the tender buds of spring or lament the passing of midsummer’s passions. Abandon stubborn grievances Set down the lash of discouragement. Peer into the heart’s looking-glass and see your true self once again. Look through the window frame of the flowers of Autumn and find the innocence of youth smiling back. Peace.