Joyful Autumn Equinox!
Joyful Equinox!
The circle turns and Autumn Equinox is here.
Whether the season brings autumn leaves, more rain, darker nights, or a bountiful harvest, it signifies that shorter days and longer nights are before us. On this powerful day when the sun crosses the plane of the earth’s equator and day and night are equal, I will focus on balance in my life, which means to me, more joy.
We hear of so much sadness and we experience so much stress in today’s world. Tainted food and formula, failing economy, violence, health issues, mortgages, hurricanes, gas prices, unemployment–stop, let’s focus on more joy!
The question I want to ask of you is what simple pleasures in your life bring you joy?
Who brings joy to you when the world is mad outside the window? Can you envision a world with more joy?
What will you do to bring more balance and joy to yourselves in the months ahead?
You can begin by visiting the website of one of my favorite free spirits, Joy Harjo at www.joyharjo.com.
EnJOY!
Jacquelyn
Dennis wrote:
As autumn settles in here in Michigan it is a bitter-sweet feeling. If one were to look up “perfect Michigan fall day” a photo of today would appear. After a cool overnight low of about 50 degrees here in the Detroit area, our high will be 77 degrees. The sky is as blue as it can get with just a whisper of a cool breeze. Colors of summer flowers are hanging on while the rusty colors of autumn flowers are everywhere. After much rain last week the yards and fields are bright green bathed in the warm sunlight. It just doesn’t get any better. It is one of those days when one knows that it is good to be alive.
I took a drive into the Country this morning, past apple orchards filled with trees draped with heavy fruit—apples, pears. Bright orange pumpkins are piled high and corn stalks bundled together for decoration. There are vegetable stands throughout the farming community, with squash, radishes, corn, cabbage and other offerings in abundance. What a day! How lucky I am, I thought, to be passing through this picture-perfect morning.
Bitter-sweet though in knowing that winter is ahead. Even more reason to enjoy this precious weather we have. It reminds me of words of the late John Denver when he sang about Autumn…one of my favorite songs by him. The words in part are:
The falling leaves are whispering winter’s on it’s way
I close my eyes remembering the warmth of yesterday
It seems a shame to see September swallowed by the wind
And more than that it’s oh so sad to see the summer end
And though the changing colors are a lovely thing to see
If it were mine to make the change I think I’d let it be
But I don’t remember hearing anybody asking me
So it’s a day like today that brings me joy. There’s joy at the end of the day too when I can reflect back on the days activities, to my children, all of my friends and family that I had contact with today or will yet have contact with. Maybe in the form of phone calls, an e-mail or in person. It is all of them that make me whole and bring me joy on this beautiful autumn day.
Posted on 23-Sep-08 at 11:40 am | Permalink
Jacquelyn Markham wrote:
Dennis,
Thank you for your wonderful picture of a crisp fall day in Michigan.
You blended joy and autumn in a beautiful way!
I can see you know how to enjoy your life and take pleasure in everyday living. Wish I could have been riding with you on that visual journey.
You make me want to hop on a plane and get back to my roots! For us, in the lowcountry, we look forward to winter and maybe if you think of going inward, you can too. You may want to write that book you have been planning for awhile. It would be a good time. Woodstove, your cat, and your word processor. What do you think?
Your vivid imagery takes me back to childhood days with apple orchards and fields filled with dry corn stalks! Nostalgic moments!
The words of John Denver are perfect to express that quality of bittersweet that makes life so precious.
Posted on 23-Sep-08 at 1:50 pm | Permalink