I’m ambivalent about autumn. On the one hand, the cooler temperatures and multicolored leaves invigorate and inspire. Yet, such gifts hint of approaching starkness and death. Daylight diminishes as darkness lengthens. Cool will soon turn to cold as winter inexorably draws near.

Autumn’s ambivalence is now poignantly personal. As I participate in nature’s relentless cycle, autumn is my lived reality. I turn 85 soon. An aging body, diminishing capacities and narrowing engagements bear the signs of autumn. Intimations of loomng winter abound.

But there is more to autumn’s story! Priorities shift! Love thrives! Beauty flourishes! Life thrives! Hope intensifies! Nature regenerates!

Parker Palmer and I are about the same age. He expresses the realities of autumn much better than I; and his reflection is a profound gift, adding to my own gratitude for this season of life: