I’m sitting in my writing cave staring out the window at all of the beautiful colors that are beginning to appear on the trees. Ironically my thoughts aren’t on the oranges, yellows and greens that are appearing early this year because of the dryness of the summer but rather, on the fact that I miss being able to run outside and jump in a pile of leaves without people looking at me as if I’m crazy.
Fall is by far my favorite time of year, but I can’t help but remember how much more fun it used to be. As kids, we’d go out and rake up big piles of leaves and jump in them. Now I just groan at the thought of having to rake. I used to spend hours and days planning the perfect Halloween costume. This year, I have to wait until the last minute to buy candy for trick-or-treaters so that I don’t eat it all before ‘show time’ (like I did last year, and the year before, and the year before, and, well, you get the picture).
Fall was so much simpler as a child. There was fun to be had around every corner. I could take the time to stop and look at the beauty around me as Mother Nature prepares her forests for their winter’s nap. So this fall (and the winter too) I’m challenging myself to take 5 minutes a day to actually enjoy the beautiful world around me. I’ll simply enjoy the scenery or revisit an old childhood pass time that is perfect for this time of year. I’m going to take the time to reconnect with my favorite time of year. Will you take the time to enjoy life as well?