Reflections

Autumn is such a reflective time of year, isn’t it? At least it is for me. We haven’t yet made it to the melancholia of the barren wintry landscape. No, we are in the process of organizing, rearranging, putting away, saving and storing, and remembering how we did things last year or the year before and even how our grands led the way so many decades ago. I have such fond memories of going to my grandparent’s farm in south Mississippi for all the fall and winter holidays, as well as school breaks. It was a two-hour drive which seemed to take forever.

The anticipation of seeing everyone I dearly loved as well as the tasty delights that awaited was almost more than I could bear. But even more overwhelming was the eager excitement in knowing that I would be free to wander the woods and the pastures, pet and play among the farm animals, climb trees, and discover delightful surprises among the leaves that blanketed

the earth like one of my gran’s “wrap-me-in-love” quilts.  Gosh! The cold of the air giving way to the warmth of trekking, scouting the forest floor, hiking the hills and valleys, splashing through creeks, and finally returning to an overly hot house full of every good thing a child can imagine. The smells of rich dirt, fresh hay, giant pines, and earthy barn stalls giving way to wafting, “come home” smells of a food laden table that would lead to full stomachs and family story time. Reflections of innocence … laughter… belonging … community … the fullness of life.

It’s not just us humans that reflect and gather and store. Maybe it's not "reflecting" exactly, but they are definitely looking at what's around and preparing for what's to come. Animals such as squirrels, chipmunks, the Corvids (crows, ravens, jays, magpies), woodpeckers, moles, and even ants have been working and continue to find and hoard food that will sustain them through the “dead” days ahead. Many of these and other animals, like bears and bats, hibernate, eating only in little bursts of wakefulness. Did you now that even frogs and some snakes hibernate? How do they survive? OFF Of THEIR BODY FAT. 

If you watch a squirrel during spring and summer months and into the fall, you think, “My gosh. Do they ever fill up?”  One can empty an unprotected bird feeder in under an hour. In reflecting on this, I’m thinking that body fat isn’t such a bad thing after all. How about you? (I'm thinking of ALL those treats I passed up. See what I mean about a reflective time of year???)

In a manner of speaking, the world of flora (living plants) also hibernates, at least the perennials and biennials. (Annuals either cease to be or reseed the ground, gifting us new plants the following year.) For plants, it’s not called hibernation.  It’s called dormancy.  Instinctively following the sun’s cue, a plant stops growing new leaves and stems; it slows breathing and photosynthesis to conserve energy. As plants enter this pre-dormancy period, they move water and nutrients away from the upper stories to the basement level – the roots and core of the plant - where life continues right on through the winter. In some instances, plants and trees even shed their leaves to prohibit water loss and protect themselves from the cold. A VERY SIMPLISTIC example would be to think of our cold flesh and our “dry” bones in winter months. As the plant progresses through these stages, the green of the chlorophyll-filled (that’s fun to say) days give way to the beautiful yellows and oranges and browns that we associate with harvest-time, warm ciders & fire-side naps, family gatherings, and snuggle-down comforters. 

Reflections…

During our reflections, I hope – I pray that we find meaningful moments that inspire us or encourage us to take the next step whatever that may be for each of us. I pray we find the courage to live in the present and to pay forward our gleanings and blessings. If this piques your interest as something you’d like to pursue, let me suggest a few simple things you can do NOW that will provide significant returns as they ripple out through the years.

In most areas, these truly are DO IT NOW projects:

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Plant one to three herbs that you can use in everyday life. To KNOW herbs or wildflowers or weeds or any plant, you must work with them heart and hands on. Observe how they grow, how they respond to you, how they respond to the environment. They won’t be up until spring, but that gives you plenty of time to talk sweetly to the seeds as you place them in their incubator (dirt), and read up on them so you can confidently care for them over winter and when they first show their tiny cotyledons or seedling leaves. You can learn how to use them, how to prune them, and how to collect seeds for "free" plants for next year.

· Plant a tree (except fruit trees) that you’ve always admired and wanted to have in your yard or on your balcony. This is the perfect time for the tree to settle in, send the roots deep into the nurturing earth, and rest toward new beginnings after the dark days of winter.

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     Put some empty broken pots or crockery around the yard for critter motels. I’ve used whatever I have on hand, even concrete blocks with sticks and leaves shoved in the holes.  These provide safe hostels for the insects and amphibians that need to shelter overwinter and comeback stronger in the spring. Believe me, you WANT these babies to come back in the spring. Leave shallow water dishes out, too. You never know who or what may wander through the shadows of night. If you have a freeze, you will need to refresh the water.

· Find someone who is a novice ... or not, but has an interest in nature and all things living. Team with them to start a journey together somewhere Between the Wildflowers & the Weeds. You never know what you might discover or where it may lead. There have been many rewarding business ventures that started out as simple friendships with common interests. Remember the saying? “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”  Start small. But start somewhere.

Reflect on fond memories and family traditions. Journal them for future readers to enjoy and find inspiration. Journal them for yourself to find encouragement and motivation. And keep journaling as you make your own new memories and traditions. Somehow, in many parts of this fast-paced, goal-oriented, money-focused world we’ve lost the ability to rest, listen and be content in the moment just appreciating profound simplicity.  But in the quiet stillness of profound simplicity is where we find focused purpose and cosmic revelations.

The important thing is to allow yourself the freedom to reflect and then move - do something organic ... lasting. Show up, be present, join in and be a part of the world-wide orchestra that is playing this magnificent symphony of blessing, peace, sharing, & life. It’s the Masterpiece older than time - The quiet stillness of profound simplicity - The song of Creation.