Harvesting Fall

There's a bite in the air. The sun is increasingly reluctant to rise. To me, these indicate the start of a new season. Not fall or football. Something else. It's the beginning of a period when I try to become less superficial and more introspective. An almost herculean labor for me. I start by taking stock of my life so far. Like a beloved paperback, I thumb through the dog-eared favorite passages of my life. As I remember those happy times, I can feel a warmth rise in me like a hot-spring from beneath the earth. Those memories start to infuse my being and reawaken dormant emotions. These revived emotions help me bring friends and family closer. Like a cashmere throw, I draw them tight around me and their warmth insulates me from the emotional chill. This time of year is my emotional anti-hibernation. It is my favorite time of year.