HAPPY FALL, Y'ALL!

Fall seems like it should be capitalized; I guess because it has meanings other than the season. So, I double checked with my best friend, Google, to see if seasons should be capitalized (they should not). But, the first thing that popped up in my search was, “Should autumn be cancelled?” What?? I’m sure all of you know how Google works: the most relevant statements and most frequently asked questions appear first to expedite your search. Have people really asked if a SEASON has been cancelled? Surely it got thrown in the mix with football season and trick-or-treat season. For a second, though, my heart skipped a beat and I thought, “that can’t happen, right?” But I’ve said that more than a few times in 2020.

Autumn is my favorite season. Have you noticed that during the time of COVID, special memories of the past come to mind more easily and often? It seems the familiar has become the distant past rather than what is happening in the day-to-day. That, of course, is because there is nothing at all familiar about each new day right now. Every day has a new surprise, a new concern, new numbers, new tragedies. It’s not that we haven’t had tough times before, just that these are “unprecedented” times.

The cooler air, along with the sunshine and bright blue “October skies,” as mom called them, have been a balm for my pandemic-sickened soul. I have renewed hope, as if there really will be an end to all of this someday, perhaps in the near future. I’ve tried to remain optimistic for over 6 months now; however, I haven’t allowed myself the luxury of fantasizing about the reappearance of something close to normal.

In an earlier post, I spoke about music and songs taking you back to a different time. The smells and crispness of the autumn air will definitely do this. And may even bring along the memory of a song as well. The shadows and the way they fell across the lawn today suddenly took me back to high school football games, Halloween carnivals, apple cider and new, cozy sweaters. I can remember every detail and smell, and the feeling I had while watching a local band play the Classic IV’s, “Stormy,” in a shopping center parking lot with good friends and a new boyfriend, and a life that seemed so carefree and fun. Actually, cooler air with less humidity in south Georgia was enough to give anyone a new lease on life.

Maybe right now we all need to let our minds and hearts go back to the past for just a little while. Take a deep breath and remember a time when you weren’t bombarded with graphs of case numbers, divisive and polarizing messages coming at you 24/7, and so much heartache in our world. I know we can’t stay there, but it can be a reminder of what some of the better days filled with hope can do for our minds and souls.

And tomorrow I’m having pumpkin pancakes for breakfast, buying a cinnamon broom, and watching college football played in empty stadiums. Happy fall, y’all!