A Whirlwind of Change

As soon as I have written a blog about the glories of this new season, the unexpected twists and turns of life decided to appear.  


Though I am taking it out of context, Shakespeare writes in Sonnet 18 
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date

This is true.  Nothing lasts, and these reminders have made themselves evident this week.  Over the weekend, one of our high school seniors passed away due to a car accident.  Then, Monday, one of the teachers at our school passed away in the hospital unexpectedly.  In addition to all of this, everything in life seems to be whirling around my head like a furious tornado.

I have meetings to plan.  I have my regular life to attend to.  Every day, I have not been able to make it home from school until around 5 in the evening.  Every morning, it is unavoidable that I must rise early and prepare for another day when I know that I will not make it home until 5 again.  Of course, these things are not enough.  To add to it all, my husband is in the field and I have people wondering why I'm not responding to e-mails about a coffee that is being held.  And I don't even know where to begin with a reply.  I will r.s.v.p. when I decide if I can make it.  

For now, everything is up in the air. It is as if the autumn winds have now begun to sweep me away.  I felt, this afternoon, that things had settled, but they haven't yet.  I'll have to ride it out.  Tomorrow will be busier than any other day.  I have to work straight through the day as I am covering a class for a teacher who must be out for the funeral of our former coworker.  I am more than glad to do it; I just won't get a break tomorrow at all.  There will be a faculty meeting after school.  I have to coordinate two more meetings that must be held next week.  I'm thinking to myself "You can do it.  The time will come.  Don't worry." I know time will become available and there is no sense in being annoyed or anything because it is life.  Life gets busy.  I must remind myself that it will not stay busy forever.

I am obviously finding the time to write this blog.  Staying up past when I should be asleep, I am making time to write the blog.  I feel the need to write it, though, so I can clear my head.  So many thoughts try to spin around in my mind at night and I do not feel at rest until I have released them.  

So, all I'm really saying is that it's interesting how we are tested and how the intensity of life can change in an instant.

Autumn

I am sitting outside on this temperate September morning with a fresh cup of coffee.  Amber an Chloe are basking in the morning sun soaking up the goodness of some weather that is finally not unbearably hot.  The oppressive heat of Georgia in the summer makes autumn a welcome visitor.  My mother has said that this is her favorite season.

Combinations of hues of orange, amber, pink, red, and brown (all in varying shades) do create an aesthetically pleasing view.  In fact, I do believe my mother wrote a blog about loving the Fall in one of her  previous blogs last year at this time.  If I remember correctly, the main selling point this season had to give her was the array of beauty in colors on the trees.

Personally, I do like the views.  Driving down a wooded road with trees drenched in vibrant leaves is a truly pleasurable and relaxing experience.  Relaxing isn't even the word.  It is more than that.  However, I cannot find the word right now to capture the feeling that comes from such a pleasant experience.

Usually, autumn is not my favorite season.  With all of the pleasant sights come other things that I would rather avoid.  Seasonal allergies start to build up for me right around the time of late October to early November.  The past few years I have not been burdened with the task of raking up those lovely leaves once they make their descent to the ground.  When I did have to rake leaves, it was never something I was enthusiastic about doing.  So, perhaps, I am enjoying the onset of Fall this year a little more since it isn't accompanied by an extra task for me.

Somehow, there seems to be a lingering autumn aroma in the air.  It is inexplicable.  Yet, it gives my mind a sense of refreshment, peace, and clarity.  I can think better right now.  Personally, I feel my mind is more of a garden to be cultivated, and I can think of the words I need when I want to write.  Perhaps this is why we began the tradition of starting school at this time; people's minds became replenished and ready to learn.

The feeling of a cool breeze is enticing for outdoor activity.  Taking my dogs for leisurely walks in the afternoon and evening is something I'm finding hard to resist.  So, with this season, I'm feeling more exuberant, rejuvenated, relaxed, and at peace.  When it comes to favorite seasons, I still pick Spring because of the promise of life after the death of Winter.  Yet, autumn this year has come with a welcome embrace.