and then Autumn comes…
When Autumn comes the leaves change their hue
and the sap of their attachment loses its viscosity…
When Autumn comes
leaves fall from branches like superfluous words
from tired tongues that must now rest
so that they may be revitalized again…
Autumn comes as a time of quiet that precedes the season of dormancy
Which will in turn give rise to a Spring of Wisdom.
… and then Autumn comes
The meaningful pause that life imposes in the course of our hurried journey through our days is an existential necessity. In the day-to-dayness of our routine oriented march through time and space, we sometimes ignore - or we forget - the real needs of our essential selves.
Like unmaintained machines, our bodies eventually suffer the breakage that results when we bypass its need for rest and rehabilitation. Like unfiltered air, our spirits become polluted and reflect a certain fog-likeness… a lack of clarity. To see our way through the many challenges that are part and parcel of our life experience, we must do what is necessary to remediate the obfuscation that unclear perspectives present.
The dysfunctions that come as a result of our physical exhaustion and our lack of clarity, become obstacles in our path. We do not think straight when these factors become the source of our actions, and thus we find ourselves stumbling from one unfortunate circumstance to another.
Autumn comes to save us from the perils that upset us when we do not take a needed break when we should.
The leaves change their hue and the sap of their attachment loses its viscosity…
Autumn comes to remind us of our need to do what is necessary to recover the vitality of the sap of our lives, without which we are not able to maintain our connections to our own internality, to each other, and to the universe. We must pay attention to the signs that indicate the occurrence of changes in us that speak to our need for rest and rehabilitation. The most immediate indicators are health signals that we do well to not ignore. It is critically important that we do not ignore the signs and symptoms of dis- ease within ourselves; we do so to our own peril.
The dis-ease within is just one of a number of indicators that we must pay attention to. Among the other signs that we need to pause for meaningful reflection and personal repair, are the manifestations of the negative impact that tired/broken bodies, dulled spirits, and unclear perspectives have on our various relationships.
Our internal states are reflected in the quality of the various relationships that define us and our roles in the world. Unhealthy persons have unhealthy relationships. Broken people express their brokenness in terms of dysfunctional behaviors that have consequences outside of their own skins.
Existing in a state of disrepair can have devastatingly disastrous consequences for everyone and everything around us. We owe it to the world to make sure that we are doing all that we can and should to take care of ourselves. We do. Our partners, our children, our homes, our communities, our co-workers - all require the very best of who we can be to always be present. Always.
When Autumn comes, leaves fall from branches like superfluous words from tired tongues that must now rest so that they may be revitalized again…
Despite the insecurities that inform our discomfort with acknowledging the need for repair within ourselves we should acquiesce to life’s demands. In the interest of healthy selves and healthy relationships, we are advised to let go of the reduncies in ourselves and in our routine that have run their course and are now existential liabilities. We must allow for changes that unburden us of the superfluous parts of ourselves. We must separate ourselves from those agencies in our lives, and in our routine, that no longer serve us and our need to live our best lives.
As an essential aspect of our ability to grow, we must develop the capacity to reflect and to engage truthfully - in a meaningful way that is - about what we need in order to achieve the worthwhile goals that we must continue to set for ourselves and strive toward. We must no longer engage in the futility of rehashing ideas and pursuing objectives that no longer serve us.
Autumn comes as a time of quiet that precedes the season of dormancy which will in turn give rise to a Spring of wisdom.
The exuberance of summer will run its course; and we, and everything around us, are summoned to usher in this season of reflection. In this season, we are urged to prepare ourselves for a time of essential dormancy during which we can sort through and flesh out our thoughts regarding those things we need to do to maximize our human potential.
Accommodating the demands of growth and change requires us to first acknowledge the signals in and around us that require our attention. The conscientious among us will embrace the messages embedded in those signals and act accordingly. When we ignore those signals we imperil our own lives, and become spoilers to the efforts of those who would do otherwise. We may resist the wisdom of Mother Earth and Father Time; but their guidance remains steadfast, and their counsel is enduring.
Let us pause, look around and about us, and listen to and submit ourselves to their regenerative processes. In the course of time, and in our lives, Autumn comes. Embrace the essentials of her wise counsel. Do what she instructs, and let the leaves fall where they may.
