I love living in a place where the seasons shift, marking the passage of time. Each season brings something special to look forward to as the current one wanes. I love a good snowstorm in winter… the first daffodils and bud break on the trees in spring… long summer days listening to the chorus of the cicadas and grasshoppers singing their summer songs… and the cool, crisp days of autumn, bursting with fiery reds and bright orange—and pumpkins! Because really, who doesn’t love a good pumpkin?

My very favorite season is autumn—though spring is a close second. But autumn wins by a nose. I often tell my son, Luke, that I think I love autumn best because I was born right in the middle of it—at the end of October, just as the fall foliage reaches its peak of colorful splendor.

There’s something more dramatic about the transition of summer into fall. I notice how the light has changed, the shorter days nudging my sunset walks along the Hudson with my dog Maggie earlier and earlier. The slow, subtle changes in the trees as their leaves blush red or glow golden orange. I start craving cinnamon-spiced pumpkin muffins and cozy soups and stews, always with a freshly baked loaf of sourdough to dip and soak up the gravy.

In my opinion, autumn is the most beautiful transition of the year.

When the seasons shift, I’m reminded that we have our seasons too.

There are seasons of fresh starts—when new things take shape, full of promise and anticipation. There are bright seasons, filled with joy, prosperity, and ease. We have quiet seasons of rest, reflection, quiet contentment and warmth that wraps around us like a cozy sweater on a brisk, cool day. And we have difficult seasons that we struggle through—sad, stressful, lonely, cold and dark, that are seemingly endless… but we hold on to the hope that a brighter season with better times is on the horizon.

We all cycle through our own life’s seasons just as Earth cycles through spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Finding goodness, beauty, learning lessons and experiencing growth in whichever season we are in and trying to appreciate the things we’ve learned, the growth we’ve experienced and strength we’ve gained in each of them. 

If you would like to see more of my Autumn Gallery, click here.