 Her şeyi kontrol edemeyeceğini kendine hatırlat. * Remind yourself that you can’t control EVERYTHING. When I noticed the little tag attached to the tea bag, I almost choked on the Turkish apple tea I was enjoying. It was hardly my original intention for my first blog post in months, maybe even a year. But wow. It pretty much sums up what I’ve wrestled with the past few years. I'm absolutely sure I'm not the only one. In my case, from realizing that surgeries don’t always go as planned to recovery/physical therapy being simultaneously a blessing and struggle to wanting EVERYONE I love to be happy ALL of the time, I’ve had to repeatedly step or sit back and remind myself: Not everything is up to me. Not everything even has anything to do with me, nor is it my business. I have limits and limitations and so does everyone else. No one has ever accused me of being a control freak, but honestly? I've wanted things to go exactly the way I, in my infinite wisdom--ahem--think they should. In other words, consciously or unconsciously, and certainly with everyone's best interests at heart, I more or less want to control everything. Of course, I can’t, and neither can you--and for that, we should be very grateful. Which brings me to my real goal for today's post: chatting about the seasons. I can’t control the weather, but I can certainly appreciate when it’s great. Autumn in southeast Texas starts hot and oh-so-gradually grows cooler. Gradually, almost imperceptibly, the light softens to gold, days grow shorter, and the air loosens its grip. Stifling humidity eventually yields to drier air and cool, refreshing breezes. It's the best time of year to garden, even more so than spring, which heats up fast. So, when does autumn begin? With the equinox? This year it falls on September 22. That's if we follow the astronomical calendar, which is based on the earth’s rotation around the sun and is divided into two equinoxes (spring and autumn) and two solstices (winter and summer). Around here, that timing feels right--September is often sweltering before the first whisper of change. The meteorological calendar, on the other hand, gives us a different kind of rhythm. Based on traditional weather patterns and the Gregorian calendar, it separates the twelve months into four seasons: Spring: March, April, May Summer: June, July, August Autumn: September, October, November Winter: December, January, February Not only does the meteorological calendar simplify things. It gives us more time to enjoy fall, which otherwise can feel squashed between the autumnal equinox and the Christmas season. I've already taken baby steps towards fall décor (pumpkin here, garden mums there). What can I say? It’s my favorite time of year. Even if it’s still hot—something I cannot control—I can still enjoy the season. That part’s up to me. After a long writing pause, I'm grateful to be back. The sequel to Tremors Through Time is humming with life, and I plan to launch my newsletter this fall. I've refreshed my website, too--consider this a warm welcome back to a space of reflection and invitation. Do you plan to decorate? To sow seeds? Are you ready for the colors and foods of autumn? Is there something you'd like to let go of this season? Wishing you a beautiful fall! By all these lovely tokens September days are here, With summer’s best of weather and autumn’s best of cheer. Helen Hunt Jackson, *September*  |
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