The Call of Fall

Somehow, this year’s transition from sticky-hot summer to cool dry fall came too fast. One day I was dripping sweat working in the yard, and the next I pulled on a sweater to sit at my desk. Welcome to October in New England.

But no matter how suddenly it arrives, fall is always a welcome chance to slow down. Priorities adjust, as inside projects rise to the top of the to-do list and boats are put to bed for their long winter’s nap. The off-season stretches ahead, deliciously distraction-free, with time to read and write and curl up on the window seat. Outside, each breath of crisp air scours my lungs clean.

Each change of seasons is, in its own way, inspiring, but fall is always my most creative time. Long hours at the keyboard become an oasis once the boats no longer sing their siren song. Falling leaves remind us to enjoy every moment, to—as my husband likes to say—have fun every day. The garden is muted, a lesson in the beauty of understatement.

Fall reminds us to live in the now. I savor each October swim, knowing that it could be the last one of the year. I don’t pine for the summer that’s gone, or dread the winter that lies ahead; I just enjoy a less crowded island, a slower pace, an idle conversation with a neighbor.

So whether it arrives suddenly like this year or creeps in more slowly, fall has a special place in my heart. It’s the best time of the year to slow down, breathe in, watch the leaves fall, take in the sunset. To simply Be. Here. Now.