Falling for Fall

When I woke this morning I heard the rustle of leaves through the open window, shaking in the wind. There was something to the quality of the light that was not the blazing haughtiness of summer but a different sort of touch. When I got up to shower and eventually opened the window to let some of the steam out, the brisk air that caressed my skin filled me with a sort of primal energy.

It would have been impossible to not notice that the weather has turned. August is fickle in England. While the rest of the northern hemisphere swelters, in England autumn decides to come early. As my birthday falls in August, it's something I've been particularly aware of. It never ends up being warm. It starts to rain again.

And yet, how can I be unhappy at the start of what is decidedly my favorite season? I love the fall. I love the light and the sound and the temperature and the color. It's true, I can do without the rain, but even rain can be pleasing if it falls the right way. Those heavy downpours of fat drops splattering on pavements and roofs and windows. There is something about it all that makes me tremendously happy and at peace.

Of course I know that other people hate the fall. To them it symbolizes the end of summer and the coming of winter. The disappearance of long days. For children, the dreadful return to school.

But when have I ever cared for trends? To me fall is glorious. For being someone so generally annoyed by the outdoors, I find it amusing that on a day like today I simply need to look outside to be happy. These are the days when I like to be cycling, to have picnics. When you need a wrap or a blanket, when it might be too cold, when I can honestly seek out and enjoy the warmth of the sun without fear of overheating.

And it doesn't hurt that the bugs start to disappear.

I know that there will be dark days and darker still. Cold and wet is not what I enjoy, unless I am settled by a fire. But I can tolerate all of that for days like just now. I'm thankful for small pleasures like this. For the joy and happiness it brings to me. Just to see the sky and breath the air and hear the wind amongst the drying leaves. I love this time of year, I truly do.