Bounty & Loss

As I type this, I have arrived in a very different habitat/ecosystem. My heart aches a bit for the wild forests I have left behind ~ soon to turn to dust and brown, all the while exclaiming one last display of glorious, colorful splendour, and shedding their last fruits for those who would enjoy them – whether bird or beast or human…
I went scurrying up a steep hillside for these radiant beauties, these swaying hips of the mountain rose, full of their frost-tinged sweetness and tasty vitamin C medicine.
Now I am far south, flown with the birds to the land of the sun…
And yes, I grieve what I have left behind. But what is autumn without grief? For this is the time of both deepest gratitude and greatest loss. The abundance of Earth has reached its climax of fruition, and we have tasted her sweet nectar, squirreled her away for winter enjoyment, and continue to be fortified by her gracious bounty.
But we know it is also the time of dying. The fruits that remain will fall, fertilizing the ground for the seeds contained within.
It is time, in the northern climes, to begin moving more indoors, to contemplate what the quietude of winter may bring. It is time to take stock, batten our hatches, and express our grief and gratitude for the wonders we are given…
Wishing you a wondrous season to follow…and a heart deep enough to fully savor both the fullness and loss this season brings…
