The other day I was waiting at a bus stop and I got to chatting with a guy who was also gazing hopefully down the road in search of the same bus. One subject led to another, and he mentioned that this was going to be his first Autumn in Canada. In fact, it was his first taste of Autumn, period!
I applauded his unguarded enthusiastic reaction to the magic of this captivating season and the way he described how he was trying to squeeze in as much spectating of the world that was surrounding him as he could. No sooner had we started in on this topic than the bus surprisingly arrived out of nowhere, as it so often does, and our conversation came to an abrupt end.
I realized that I was very jealous of this chatty stranger. He was going to be seeing Autumn in person, for the very first time. What an amazing opportunity! Canadians who have had the privilege of growing up in this country, have never NOT known the beauty of watching the seasons change. Each year we are given the chance to watch the dance that nature slowly performs, although it’s on us as to whether or not we pay attention as that happens.
But here was this grown man viewing that same mysterious dance, with all of his senses as open to the event as was possible for him, drinking it all in and being wowed! I was so glad for him to be here at this point in his life, since he seemed to be really thriving under the keen sensory awareness that Autumn had inspired in him. He was totally ‘getting’ Autumn.
Of course I embrace his opinion of how extraordinary Autumn is but maybe I/we need a bit of a reminder of the miracle and sheer beauty of it all, from time to time. For the length of the bus ride from that stop to the one I was disembarking at, I lapsed into my own heightened awareness and studied the array of trees that lined the passing streets, trying to imagine seeing them for the first time. Some of the foliage was still green and wouldn’t be budging for a couple of weeks yet, but from those trees spread a real Autumn rainbow as other trees tentatively made their first tests of turning yellow by degrees or more confidently blushed orange or proudly waved their bright crimson leaves at the early morning sun. Still others had already moved through their Grand Finale and their leaves gathered on the ground, waiting for us to scuff happily through their crunchy carpet.
Mind you, Autumn is more than just a visual workout.
The temperatures of Autumn have shaved off that hot edginess of summer and haven’t yet taken on the chill and dampness of the West Coast in Winter. Autumn’s temperatures bring with them the layering of sweaters and scarves (the “it” accessory this year!), and hooray, the re-introduction of soups, stews, and casseroles to our supper tables. The smells around the neighbourhood have slipped away from barbecues in backyards and towards the complex combination of onions and garlic being simmered with tomatoes, spices, and whatever else is being stirred into soups simmering on stoves and stews being cooked in ovens.
Those of us who sleep better once the cooler nights return to our bedrooms, sigh with contentment when these temperatures slip into place.
The kids are back in school, now that it is well and truly Fall, so there is a bit more routine or rhythm to the days, and the school yards are alive with the sounds of the young. The students change from year to year but the universally recognized sounds of schoolyard mayhem remain the same.
The days have become noticeably shorter and the morning sun stays tucked in bed later and later each day, making us feel like we should be doing the same. The earlier onset of darker evenings makes me itchy to get candles out to add yet another layer of coziness to this season of spending more time inside.
And all of these marvelous insights and Autumnal nuances will be what Chatty Stranger has yet to discover! He’ll be able to make the observations that we all have, but that we so very often take for granted. Habitually, once Summer is finished we only lift our heads from our important lives, lists, and phones, in time to greet the Christmas Holiday Season–while Chatty Stranger over there, will be lucky if he remembers to blink regularly.
That is why this Thanksgiving Weekend is something of a gift for us. This weekend is a chance to be reminded about just how breathtaking our country, and our lives, truly are. It can be an opportunity to notice, and to be grateful for, all that nature annually parades in front of us.
If time allows, grab a scarf (!) and someone you’re thankful for, and make a point of going outside for a walk during this middle stage between Summer and Winter. Try to imagine that this is the first Canadian Autumn that you’ve ever seen. In all likelihood, you’ll probably find that you’re a bit jealous of Chatty Stranger too!
