I often hear people say that they love autumn because of its incredible beauty. Autumn is magnificent. It tickles our senses.
When leaves begin to change their colors we are reminded of all the vibrant life that surrounds us. We seem to wake up from a long summer dream. Everywhere we look nature explodes in all shades of red, brown, yellow and gold.
Autumn is magnificent, but the joy it brings is short-lived. Unlike spring, autumn does not carry a promise of life. It reminds us of the eternal force that governs the cycle of life and death. And while spring allows us to be carefree and playful, autumn forces us to reflection.
Our emotions seem to change when the last golden leaf falls onto a wet side walk. All the magic of autumn seems to disappear in an instant. The days are shorter and darker now. Only crows seem to enjoy the barren landscape that spreads around us where only a moment ago, it seems, was a vibrant palette of almost indescribable colors.
Autumn brings its promise of death and decay and reminds us that nothing lasts forever. A deep reflection upon this fact may fill us with melancholy, but it also allows us to examine our own existence.
Things are, indeed, in constant motion and holding on to any experience does not make much sense. We must accept change and move on. Mindfulness and conscious detachment allow us to see the true nature of things and embrace life in a new way.
The joy does not last, but neither does the sadness. Our eyes begin to shine again when the first snowflakes start falling down on the barren earth...
By Dominique Allmon
Fall images by Dominique Allmon
The Weeping Angel image by Nicole