My word for 2021 is shift. Like everyone I know, I’ve learned a lot, since this time last year. One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that change and uncertainty just are. Since I’m not in control of much more than which yoga pants, Zoom-appropriate top, and slippers I’ll wear each day, I needed to figure out how I could deal with all the change and uncertainty. That’s where shifting comes in.
For me, shifts involve acceptance and adjustment. I know I don’t have much control, but I have unlimited choices. I can shift.
Some of my recent shifts have been pretty significant. Some have been tiny. Some haven’t happened, yet. And I’m sure I’ll make a lot of shifts I can’t even imagine.
I captured this image a couple of weeks ago in Glacier National Park. As you can see, the skies were gray, but the Autumn colors were definitely not.
The shift into Autumn has always been my favorite time of year. Those first southeastern North Carolina mornings, when I step outside to light.bright.and.almost.crisp.air are incredible to me.
If you celebrate the shift into Autumn, like me, what’s incredible to you about Autumn?
Lisa’s Cheap Therapy blog 
I miss Upstate NY autumn still, after being in VA or NC since 1969! The intense, fiery flare of Maples turning green orange-to-red against a backdrop of dark, dark fir trees, the almost cobalt blue sky, the resurrection of wool skirts and sweaters to meet the first frosts, shivering in the bleachers for football games, and frost before the month is out. I miss Virginia autumns for the tapestry dark shades of bronze and red and purple oak leaves, the bright spills of chrysanthemums lasting until Thanksgiving, even the chilly rain. Here, I enjoy relief from the crushing heat, an occasional day with humidity below 75%, and the geese flying overhead, unable -apparently – to decide whether to stay or go! A Hurricane free season – best bonus ever!
I was going to share what autumn is for me. And, I will. Then I read this by Steven Charleston. I thought you and your readers might appreciate this.
October is a sacred month for me. I don’t know why. It just always has been. In my language it is called Month of the Little Hunger. And I understand why because it is a time when our awareness is sharpened. The air gets colder, the mind gets quicker. Even the trees reach their most intense colors, a magical beauty revealed to us in evening light. Spiritually this is the doorway to ancient days, to our ancestors and the story of our people. The Spirit is always near in October. Wood fires and first snows: we have crossed the threshold. We are walking on sacred ground. SC
What I notice most about autumn is all the ways nature prepares for her shift. Leaves are changing and then falling. Glorious berries in vibrant hues of red and purple are everywhere. They seem to be a great substitute for the flowers that delighted our senses in the spring and summer months. Many animals are on the move looking for food while others seem less active. I am trying to slow down and pay attention to the shifts in nature. Doing so helps me to recognize the shifts that are occurring in me.
What a glorious shift in seasons you’ve painted for us with your words, Penny. Thanks!
Oh Susan, thanks for sharing Bishop Charleston’s beautiful description of the sacredness of October!
Susan, thanks for reminding us to pay attention to how exquisitely Mother Nature can help us with her shifts.