Are You in the Autumn Years?

It’s now officially fall. I love this season—so poignant, mysterious, and soul-stirring. The leaves are turning, the air is cool and crisp. The light is deepening. And even though I feel the usual wonder, this particular fall takes on special meaning. I’ve just turned 70.  

How did this happen? 70? Good God. Wasn’t 17 last week? Turning 70 feels both amazing and terrifying. My runway is shrinking. And yet, beyond the usual existential dread felt all the time, there’s another emotion beneath it all—gratitude. Not everyone makes it this far.

Of all the seasons to help me usher in this new stage, I’m glad it’s this one. I love autumn for these three reasons… 

Those changing leaves—They start out as tender yellow shoots. By summer, they’ve turned a bold, vibrant green, and in September, they have one more colorful burst of red and gold. Next year, more tender yellow shoots will take their place. 

The sight always reminds me that life is cyclical. Seasons. Days. Good times. Bad. Everything comes and goes, including us. Someday we’ll be gone, and other generations will take our place. Strangely, instead of feeling morbid, I find this thought comforting. We’re all part of nature’s rhythm. But how lovely that we get to live this particular era in human history (OK, maybe it’s not always so joyful) together. Let’s make the most of it.  

That cooler air— It seemed impossible in hot, muggy July to be reaching for sweaters, but here we are. For me, the cooler air is a reminder to come back inside where it’s warm and cozy. I‘ve always loved the embrace of home and as I get older, I seem to need it more than ever. 

Home is where I feel safest and happiest. Family, my dog Libby, books, my writing desk, all call in ways they didn’t when I was younger. Back then, I couldn’t wait to leave and have adventures. Life beckoned. So much to see and learn. Now maybe it’s this crazy world, or just mellowing with age, but I seem to need my cozy reading nook more than ever.  

The sound of school buses—Don’t you find yourself loving and appreciating youth more than ever? Not only human babies, but puppies and kittens and guinea pigs. I even saw a cute baby iguana on social media the other day. I love the sight of children waiting at the bus stop. Each year I say a prayer that they’ll have a safe, happy year. The sound of those buses is a reminder that life is fleeting.  

Decades ago, I was a child staring out those windows, and then a young parent putting jittery kindergartners on board their first day of school, and now I’m a 70-year-old woman, standing at her mailbox as one of those buses rumble past. I want to believe I’m older and wiser, less ego-driven than in my youth. Hopefully most of us know ourselves better than those kids looking out those windows. They have quite a journey ahead of them. 

If the sixties are the freshmen class of old age, then we seventy-year-olds are the unruly sophomores. Still not super old, not in the winter of our lives yet—which probably has its own warm, cozy benefits—but we’re undeniably up there.  

As Aerosmith sang, “Nobody knows where it comes and where it goes.” And we probably never will. Or will we someday? The eternal mystery. Something to ponder as I watch those beautiful leaves cascade down.    

 

Do you love autumn? Comments are always welcome, and if you’d like to receive posts by email, just press here. Thank you!