It has remained pretty "summery" here so there were no autumn leaves or other obvious signs in nature but here's what struck me:
I am a place of refuge for my family.
I love to hold them, keep them safe,
and watch them enjoy the summer.
I open my doors and windows
for fresh air and sunshine,
sandy feet and sunburnt bodies.
I give them a place to rest
and play games
and tuck up for the night.
I’m their home away from home
for the sundrenched months…
But now they are gone
and I am cleaned out, closed up,
curtains drawn – alone.
It takes a bit of getting used to…
but in a way it is restful.
I watch the sea,
hear the waves,
track the changing shadows.
No interruptions,
nothing to distract me
from quietly settling down
into the different beauty
of Autumn.
For now this home is mine alone.
Was that a cool breeze I felt
or was it a shiver of excitement!
And in the way these contemplative practices work, of course I am writing from some place in me that feels a shiver of excitement as I settle down for the different beauty and pace of Autumn!
