I love this time of year. The days start to get shorter, and eventually the weather cools down a bit, and we find ourselves at home a little earlier than we use to make it home. For me, Fall is full of memories. Several years ago I use to notice an elderly lady that would take walks with her caretaker in my neighborhood. I never thought too much about it until one Fall day. The leaves the leaves had begun to turn color, and this lovely lady would have her caretaker equipped with a bag she would carry for her. The lady would take time to stop on her walks every now and then and pick up leaves. These weren’t just any old leaves. I would watch out my window as she would stop in front of my house and pick up one leaf and examine it. The lady would look at the colors on the leaf, the shape, the textures, truly examining it. If it was a leaf that met her approval, she would hand it to her caretaker to gently place in her bag. Even today, I marvel at how wonderful and touching it was to be able to secretly watch this woman sincerely enjoy the beauty and simplicity that nature has to offer us. I haven’t seen her for a few years now, and I’m sure she’s passed on, but I always think of her with a smile on my face during this time of year. And I have to admit, I now look at the leaves a bit differently than I use to.
The passage of time is something that I’m always keenly aware of. This Fall my oldest granddaughter, Riley, started kindergarten. It still hasn’t sunk in with me as I watched her wave good-bye to us her first day of school. I looked at her and wondered how she was already in kindergarten. This is the little girl I helped deliver when she was born! I also beat myself up a little bit thinking that there was so much more I wanted to do with my little Riley before she started school. I’m always so busy with Country Roads and just life. I do the best I can to juggle my time, but for me, I have to confess, it gets away from me. There is, however, something special about Fall. It feels like the beginning of not just a new school year, but a new year all together. I want to make more time for my little ones. I want to create more memories for them with me, especially this time in my life.
I look forward to spending time with not only Riley, but with my other grandbabies, Morgan (2) and Bodhi (1) this Fall. We always go to Disneyland for their Halloween event. And how can I forget how I smiled really big the other day while driving down PCH and seeing “Pa’s Pumpkin Patch” being set up for yet another Fall season. My whole family gathers here each and every year with all the little ones. Fall does make me remember the things like the beginnings of school years, and Disneyland and the Pumpkin Patch. But I think this Fall; I will create a new memory for my little grandkids. I think it’s time to grab a bag, and walk around my neighborhood and examine the leaves! And just like the lovely lady I wrote about above, I can have Riley, Morgan, and Bodhi decide which leaves are worthy enough for “our” bag! You know, the things we remember the most, the things we never forget, the things that touch are hearts the deepest are usually not the most expensive things in life. It’s the simple stuff, like collecting leaves and not only appreciating Mother Nature’s beauty in the Fall, but creating a memory that you will always carry in your heart.
