Autumn full of Wonder

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."  George Eliot

Yesterday was the first day of fall, or so I've been told. In Texas, September 22 is simply another hot Wednesday. Growing up in Illinois, fall was always my favorite season. The season was the Rockwellian dream of leaves crunching beneath my feet, cozy sweatshirts, festivals, and a dazzling display of color in the tree's leaves. I do miss that part of Midwest living. 

Fall was always my mom's favorite season too. When I lived in California she would send me pictures of the gorgeous trees which lined the street of my childhood home. Remember when pictures used to have to be printed to be seen? There was something magical about opening a hand written letter with photos tucked inside. Today finding such a thing in your mailbox would feel extravagant, yet it remains my favorite type of correspondence.

My dear niece Sarah sent this to me last October. A glimpse of fall at her college Southern Illinois University. It is magical to be sure. 

 It's been a long time since I've lived somewhere with a proper fall. In Minnesota fall is a unicorn, a fable, something everyone wants to believe in but no one has seen. Summer melts into winter with jackrabbit speed. The leaves do change to create a beautiful kaleidoscope, but they are off of the trees so quickly with the onset of heavy winds and rain. Yet Minnesota falls were still a sweet time for me since they still felt like a change of season--something we didn't feel much of in southern California.

In Texas, the weather doesn't feel too compatible with pumpkin spice and sweatshirts.  But the season has changed all the same. Sometimes we move into another season and barely notice. It still feels like the kids are in footed jammies yet they're reading chapter books and making dinner for the entire family. We have blinked and look what happened. It still feels like summer but the calendar says autumn is here. 

As one who savors the moments and tries to blink to only minimally, I welcome the change of seasons, even the ones which take me by surprise.