I drifted awake this morning thinking about how every step we take is a new experience. A spot we have never been in before.
As Autumn settles in, we settle in to a new familiar routine that goes with this season. The shorter hours of daylight cause more urgency to get things done outside. The sound of lawn mowers is replaced by a soft dry crackling of leaves being raked. I find myself drinking more hot tea. The morning frosts predict the deepening need to nest. The quilts are pulled out. Homemade soups begin appearing for dinner. Color saturated sunsets visit every night. Firewood is delivered, split and stacked. The last of the herbs are gathered and dried. The shadows grow longer.
We have never been in this spot before.
The garden is different, it has grown and changed. It is not the same colorful leaves falling from the trees. They grew fresh this year. They experienced a very long cold spring, regular rain, finally an extended dry period, then (after our rain dance!) a large amount of late summer rain. They danced with the winds, they basked in the sun. The frost crept across them- did they shiver? And now they fall to the ground with no resistance. The perennials die back, but they too were fresh this year. The birds begin to show up at the feeder again. This Autumn is a whole new cycle.
Look with fresh eyes. Don't take it for granted. We have never been here before. With every breath in, we step to a new spot. Similar to when you hear, yet don't listen, be sure to not only see, but experience. The cycling is familiar, but oh so new.
Portals to new experiences, step forward with awareness and delight, forward into the unknown.