Change Is Always On the Way

Dear Reader,

I know, it’s only August. Mid-August, to be sure, but summer is still in full swing.

And yet…

I am thinking of Autumn! Why?

Because earlier today, I was sitting in a very comfortable chair, on the lawn at a local college here in Maine, supposedly doing work. I was sitting under the only tree whose leaves had started to fall, and they coated the ground around me. I could see their colors, and I could smell them!

I noticed, also, a difference in the light; the sun was a little lower in the sky at that time – just before Noon – than it had been even a month ago. The result was a more pale quality to the light, and a slight weakening of the heat the sun radiated, even though the temperature was still in the low 80s.

All of these signs whispered to me: “Fall is coming; pay attention.”

I love Autumn – the way it speaks to me, engages my senses and my heart, and gives me something new to pay attention to in every moment. And I love these first few telltale hints of change.

Sitting in the shade feels a tiny bit cooler, even on a hot day.

The first few acorns are bouncing off our tin roof, sounding like gunshots.

A few isolated pools of fallen leaves have formed on the ground.

This morning, as I was sitting on the lawn, a group of children was playing nearby, directed by a handful of firm but friendly adults. The children themselves seemed like leaves, blown this way and that by their curiosity, their emotions, their innocent joy at simply being here on planet earth.

And this perception of the children reminds me of something deeper I love about Fall – it challenges the routine ways I pay attention. Because of the way it engages me, it calls on me to see and feel the world differently, to make unexpected connections – between leaves and children and essential nature, for example – and now, with unexpected connections we are talking about the nature of creativity itself.

And when you live in certain places on earth, including Maine – it happens every year.

How cool is that?!

The final thought I am left with today is about being sensitive to the markers of change – whether the change of seasons or changes in your life. It helps to be sensitive to those markers, those early signs – the blowing winds, and subtle changes in the light of your own life’s unfolding.

Because when you can be aware of those early signs, you can respond. You can work with them. If things seem tough, but you see the signs of a deepening, a growth of wisdom that will lead you in a new direction, you can take heart and gain strength for the next step.

So no matter where you live, dear reader, and no matter what season is approaching, look for the signs, take heart, and gain strength – for change is always on the way.

I honor your loving heart,

John