Golden Days, Golden Years of Gratitude

Throughout my life, spring was by far my favorite season of the year. Until now.

This year, for a reason I don’t completely understand, there’s been a shift in my perspective. The grandeur and magnificence of fall with its vivid, spectacular foliage—seemingly more brilliant and glorious than the year before—has captured my heart and changed my mind.

Years living through frigid winters in drafty farmhouses only heightened my anticipation, my appreciation, and my love for the magic of spring. Hauling split wood, feeding a fire, shoveling snow off the car, and trudging through snowdrifts conjured visions of sunny yellow daffodils, and daydreams of lettuce seedlings sprouting in my garden. Spring was the answer to long dark nights and morning frost on the windows.

As piles of winter snow slowly melted in my yard, I waited eagerly for the peeps of the tree frogs to gleefully announce “spring is on its way!” With each step of my country walks, I relished the earthy aroma of the woods surrounding me, and the sounds of rushing water in the creek as the snow continued to melt. In my mind, nothing in the world could compare to the thrill of seeing the first crocus pop its head from the ground, or spying the curve of a fern frond poking through the damp forest floor. For me, this time of the year never failed to fall short of miraculous.

Spring was magical. Spring was light and warmth and hope for the future. A time of rebirth, a reminder to begin again.

But if spring is a testament to nature’s magic, nature’s miracle of life bursting from the earth, autumn, in all its glory and no less a miracle, rises to the heights of sheer magnificence. Autumn reminds us of who we are, the importance of gratitude, and what is yet to come.

This year, life’s awesome transition to autumn touched a deep part of my soul. As the days turned cooler, the slight nip in the air felt surprisingly bracing and refreshing all at once. Each day I scrutinized the kaleidoscopic treetops for subtle shifts in tint or tone. At peak color, the vibrancy of the fiery leaves lifted my spirits to the heavens with a promise of peace and understanding.

Usually annoyed by the family of squirrels digging up my garden beds, this autumn I smiled as they scampered across the yard gathering their winter hoard. Outside my kitchen window, I stared with awe and delight at the bluebirds as they swallowed ripe honeysuckle berries whole one by one. At the same time, I mourned the passing of the flowers in my garden as their leaves began to yellow and wither. And as soon as I stepped outside, I was suddenly aware of a strange calming energy—a relaxed hush seeping into woods as it prepares to sleep for the winter.

This year, it wasn’t only the season or the leaves that were changing. Something shifted inside me as well.

Perhaps autumn has replaced spring as my favorite season now that I’ve reached what people call the “golden years.” Maybe now instead of aligning with the spring energy of growth and renewal, I’m more attuned to the often-imperceptible movement of life slipping away as I watch autumn’s joyful burst of color dull, then make its inevitable descent first to the ground, and then to dust.

There’s an unspoken, unknowable omnipotence about the autumn season you simply can’t ignore. Its powerful, almost foreboding energy seeps into your bones, your blood, in a way that can’t compare to the uplifting magical energy of emerging spring wildflowers. This year, as I watched green leaves transform into brilliant blazing hues of spectacular color, I couldn’t help feeling an innate connection and love for autumn and for my own mortality. Plus a tremendous appreciation of this beautiful, breathtaking force at play.

Sure enough, when our hearts are full of appreciation, gratitude naturally follows. As I stared at the autumn magnificence surrounding me, I found myself saying, “Thank you, thank you divine, remarkable universe for this precious gift. Thank you that I’m still here to take another breath and witness this incredible spectacle.”

But we don’t have to wait until autumn to appreciate life and be grateful. The upcoming Thanksgiving holiday reminds us to express the gratitude we all carry in our hearts. Surely, we can cultivate gratitude year-round. All we have to do is open our eyes and look around us. We can absorb what’s right in front of us every day with love, curiosity, and gratitude: the birds pecking at seeds, the smile of a child, a sunset, the touch of a loved one. Each is a small miracle in and of itself. How blessed we are to be here, and to experience this miracle we call life.

This year, as I witnessed the change of the seasons as I always do, autumn spoke to me. It said: “Let your golden years be like my beautiful golden leaves before they fall to the ground. Live the second half of life with amazement, joy, and wonder. Remember to appreciate and be grateful for every precious day you have. And as winter sleep draws near, light up in a final blaze of color.”