“Seasons of mists and mellow fruitfulness…”
“Ode to Autumn”, John Keats 1795-1821
After all these years, this line of Keats still captures the essence of Autumn so vividly, as we awake to morning mists, followed by the trees emerging in a blaze of glory. They do this, even in the process of seeming to die as they shed their colourful leaves, reds, golds, russets. At this time of the year, they are entering into a new stage, a time of change, a time of transition, a time of rest.
Autumn invites us yet again to learn from the trees, to reflect on the natural rhythms of life, in a process of gentle evolution that invites us to go deeper within ourselves. When we do this, we learn that this is not a one-off experience, that like the trees, it is a cycle that offers new invitations for growth, and each new growth is unique in what it offers. All we have to do is be open to these new gifts of change.
So, Autumn can be a time of deep, quiet reflection, a stepping aside, as it were, from the busyness, the hustle and bustle of the summer months, and a recognition of God’s work within us, holding out new life, new possibilities for each of us, whatever our circumstances. If we wait patiently, then like the trees, new growth will emerge in time, in God’s time. We just need to learn to recognise and welcome this new growth.
Maria McMahon RNDM