AUTUMN OF LIFE

We are now three days into Autumn following the Equinox of this past Sunday.  Autumn. The word is derived from the ancient Etruscan root autu- and has within it connotations of the passing of the year. Beyond its scenic beauty, Autumn carries profound symbolism, mirroring the transitions we experience in our own lives. Embracing Fall can be a powerful teacher, helping us to embrace change, let go of what no longer serves us, and find beauty in the impermanence of life.

When I divide my life into four parts, regardless of years, it is childhood, early adulthood, mature adulthood, and the elder stage.  There are years associated with each stage. While they might seem arbitrary or fixed, I link them to transitions, moving from one stage to another. The seasons of change. 

 My childhood ended at age 18 (1955) when I left home for college and never returned to live there, and adulthood began 3 years later when I got married, the first time, at age 21. Neither of us had a clue about what we were doing or what would evolve over the next 35 years. We did what we thought was expected and figured it out as we went along. That stage ended around age 37 (1974) when we had three children, I had just finished my second graduate school with two more degrees, and became self-employed.  Mature adulthood, with all of its attendant responsibilities, began around age 54.  Those years included a second marriage, a blended, extended family, several moves and continuing work. That stage lasted until age 74 (2011) when I retired from full-time work and it became clear I had entered the last one-fourth of my life. The elder stage began and now, 13 years of being an elder is fine as I “let go of what no longer serves me and find beauty in the impermanence of life.”.

Autumn is synonymous in many places in the northern hemisphere with brilliant colors, a slowing down, a change in the weather, a time of letting go and going inward or underground.  In my internal calendar, I associate October and November, with cooler days, warm blankets at night, the smells, tastes, and sounds of celebrations. Trees and leaves, apples, and fresh pressed cider.  It’s time to make a pie or apple crisp and welcome the wonderful aroma of baking escaping from the oven, testing my olfactory abilities. I cooked a pot of apples for applesauce and used Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond’s recipe. She is a hoot with her details and laughter is good for the soul at any stage. She said this may be the only recipe where she does not recommend using butter.  I use a variety of sources for recipes that appeal to me and when I search for a recipe it’s a matter of discerning any important differences, choosing one that appeals or going to our file and looking under different categories for recipes we have saved because we liked them.  Who knew I would enjoy cooking and being in the kitchen at this stage?  To say that S. likes it is an understatement. One of my favorite cookbooks is “Twelve Months of Monastery Soups.”  Ina Garten is a creative cook. So was Fannie Farmer.  Great name, eh?  She was the author of  “The Boston School Cooking Cookbook” published in 1896.

We are moving swiftly toward Halloween, All Saints, and All Souls Days.  November 1 and 2 here in Mexico are important as Dia de los Muertos. Day of the Dead is a two-day holiday that reunites the living and dead. Families create “ofrendas” (offerings) to honor their departed family members who have died. These altars are decorated with flowers (marigolds), religious symbols, and the favorite foods and drinks of the one being honored. The offerings are believed to encourage visits from the land of the dead as the departed souls hear their prayers, smell their foods, and join in the celebrations! We may visit a cemetery here in San Miguel and join in this rich tradition of celebrating our loved ones no longer with us.

November in the U.S. is the month of the national Holiday of Thanksgiving, celebrated on the fourth Thursday.  For me, gratitude is present year-round and every day.  Each day at this stage is a gift and a bonus day to make of it whatever I choose, this day, this hour. I agree wholeheartedly with the first part of what Annie Dillard says in “The Writing Life.”  She writes:

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing.”  The second part, about a schedule being a “mock-up of reason and order”  not so much, although there is a rhythm to my days  I may consider dates and times when I look at a calendar, and how I want to invest or spend my hours and days.  Being in this latter stage of luxurious leisure to be and do as I choose is richly rewarding. My days are full. I am present. I can think and walk, read and write, respond and reach out, and make meaningful connections with family and friends.  I know these days will end. Whether they end gradually or suddenly at this stage makes little difference now. I celebrate who I am, who you are, and where I am with what I have.

"Every moment there are a million miracles happening around you: a flower blossoming, a bird tweeting, a bee humming, a raindrop falling, a snowflake wafting along the clear evening air. There is magic everywhere.    If you learn how to live it, life is nothing short of a daily miracle." Source: Inner Engineering: A Yogi's Guide to Joy​​. Thanks to JamesClear.com for sharing this quote.