09/23/2026: Where All Things Begin Again
After the fun and lazy days of summer, my favorite time of year is finally here. As the leaves begin to fall and the weather does its best to match the autumn season that’s upon us, I find myself eager to soak up every minute doing everything I love.
In this season of change and letting go, I’m ready to leave the half-me I’ve been living with behind. Ever since spring, I’ve been somewhere between who I want to be and who I’ve actually been. In a season of new beginnings, I had my fair share of life-altering events, and as a result, I became someone that needed to learn and grow in ways I never had to before.
Though I’m still glad I made the leap, some of the adversity I’ve faced has been very difficult to navigate, and all uncharted territory. I realize, with hindsight, that who I became over the last two to four years was just another series of crucial milestones in my journey, that gave me the tools to weather one of the hardest summers of my adult life. Through a rough season of rejection and loneliness, I’ve emerged from the emotional fog, and I have gathered the strength and gained the clarity I need to continue on.
It’s been a while since I’ve taken the time to listen to the natural world around me like I used to, but it’s hard to ignore the pull now that autumn is here. I finally felt an internal shift that made me question if I’m doing the best I can with my newfound knowledge and experience, and I was pleasantly surprised when the answer was no. And if past experience has taught me anything, it’s that I’m entering a new era of growth and change that I’m absolutely ready for.
It seems like a strange coincidence that I’m arriving at this mindset at a time of year when we naturally let go of things that are no longer serving us, but I know that it’s happening right on time. No matter what’s going on with me physically and mentally, the fiery colors, the crisp wind, and the seasonal traditions always make me stop to savor simple things, and to look inward. My admiration for all the external influences becomes a spiritual experience, and my soul lights up with a desire to embrace the feeling and do something meaningful. So here I am, on the first full day of my favorite season, ready to do just that.
As I make my way down the path of breathtaking decay, I’ll breathe in the earth, the rain, and the cold air. I will hug my arms in quiet comfort as the wind whispers through my hair and settles into the depths of my heart like a precious secret only I know. I will walk ever forward, leaving who I was behind without looking back; I will know that whatever does not serve me any longer deserves to die on the cold ground with the dead leaves, becoming one with a place that I’m merely passing through, a place I do not wish to return to. I won’t fear darkness, for the full moon will guide my way, to the place where the version of me that I will become is patiently waiting for me with open arms. I will embrace her at the end of the winding dirt road, where the past is forgotten, where my scars are healed, and where all things begin again.