Autumn's Olfactory Hues, etc.

Happy October, everyone. Time for crisp breezes, watching your breath escape, savoring mulled cider, donning warm sweaters and scarves, watching fires crackle and pop in the fireplace and sharing close-up moments. Mmmm, pumpkin farms, apple picking... everything to make a girl swoon...

This was my Facebook status this morning, and I thought I would share here, as well, and maybe expound a bit on why this time is so important in my life.


Truthfully, I'm a bit of a nerd. I loved school. Each fall, buying school supplies (not in July, like they do nowadays...) brought excitement to my heart; smelling the crisp, fall air while I would walk to school, every moment was savored. Friends would walk together to school, maybe talk or throw a ball around. I was sort of a tomboy, so throwing a ball around was not uncommon to me. I found that I could run around and play much easier in the fall, because the heat wasn't a factor. I wouldn't get all sweaty as fast, and that meant more play time. It was also amazing to curl up with a good book and enjoy the faraway places that were expertly hidden among the pages. And the smell of a good book! Oh yes, I loved the smell of those pages. 


Another smell I adored (not sure why) was the smell of the wrappers from the fund-raising candy bars that we would receive from our classes. We would walk up and down the streets of our small town, peddling these delicious treats. Back then, schools did not sell the normal, "name-brand" candies, like Hershey's. I have since forgotten the name of these delectable goodies, but the wrappers are forever burned in my brain: shiny, white, and thick, with a thin foil underneath that made a crisp metal-tearing sound when opened. The little cases of candy bars had built-in handles for carrying ease, of course, and each student probably ended up eating more than they actually sold. I think my parents paid a whole lot for those fund-raising outings!


Another smell that is amazing is the smell of a nice, big leaf pile. Raking up the castoffs from the giant trees that stood through the years, collecting bits of the year's history in each new ring, that was something spiritual. The smell of the decaying flora somehow brought a new energy and life to my bones. 


It is interesting to think about that. Death and decay brought excitement. Hmmm... There is something there, I know it. I think of how we, as the human race, can become so frantic when a part of our lives come to an end, when really, it is also symbolizing the beginning of a new chapter. Quite the ponderous statement. Maybe this is why fall is so well-received by the masses. It symbolizes the end of one season, and ushers in a new hope; a new hope of things to come. Wonderment: How many NEW flowers will sprout up in my perennial garden in the spring? You see, with the end of each season, there are seeds that have been dropped everywhere, to lay dormant through the dead of winter, and will hopefully reawaken with the renewed, warm weather. 

It is like this with our souls as well. So, when a certain season is ending in your life, how will you approach it? Will you look at what you are losing, grasping effortlessly while these passing "things" slip through your fingers? Or will you allow God to warm you from His light, keep you safe through the cold months, and then help you to re-emerge as the newly transformed, fuller garden that He wants for you to become? The seeds are always there... And they long to sprout up. And when they do, I pray you will be there, watching with excitement, as each tender little stem and leaf push their way through the newly-warmed soil.


Peace, love and cider mugs to you all!