Hitting Me Like Acorns

Yesterday, I was running and the signs of fall were hitting me like acorns dropping from trees. Hard and benign. Hard because, as much as I love the fall, it leads to winter, which I seem to have inherited a struggle with. Benign because the trees, which shed the acorns, have no bad intentions and are simply taking their natural and rather beautiful course of letting go and planting seeds. I felt the first signs of fall underfoot as I stepped on newly surrendered leaves and caught flashes of occasional color under and around me. As I continued to run out of the woods and onto the road, I saw, every now and then, a leaf falling. It was in that moment that I decided, “I need to make some fun of this.” And so, I've set a new challenge for myself that will remind me to enjoy the season and not miss it in my fear of the darkness, cold, and too many layers of claustrophobic clothes that follow it. The challenge is that I catch a leaf...even just one, sometime on one of my runs this fall. This is not such an easy feat. Not only will I look funny, swerving with my arms extended as if praying to a flighty god only I can see, but I’ll also have to remember to look at the oncoming cars and not scare the puzzled drivers and myself.  
 
That was my first enjoyable thought for autumn. Then, as I ran downhill alongside the meadow, I saw a black Mercedes coming in my direction. It had, what I thought was, a curious emblem on the grille of the car, so I watched it as we approached each other. When it was close enough, what I thought was some kind of sign, was really a big, yellow, maple leaf stuck to the grille from the pressure of the wind against it. I laughed out loud. There was something amusing about this shiny, black, expensive car curving along the winding road with a huge beautiful maple leaf sealed to its front. It came at me as if to say, "yes, fall is coming, enjoy me!" In fact, it was a sign. I ran home delighted with the energy of knowing I can keep searching for the fun in what is right here, right now. And right here, right now is the coming of fall and that is all.

I welcome hearing any thoughts or practices around the fall you may have. Oh, and since this is happening to me, if you drive and hear the occasional acorn hitting the roof of your car with that particular thud, or you see one fall in front of your car, just missing it as you drive, then too, you can smile or laugh at the profound nature of a season that’s about letting go, with its remarkably colorful exit, and pulling in to be able to flourish again.