I absolutely love autumn, especially the month of October. Cooler temperatures, wood smoke in the air, the colorful foliage, and, of course, the chance to eat some good, hearty meals after the lighter fare of summer—all of these make the season so special to me!
Autumn, however, is also a busy season with the start of the new academic year here at Maria College and the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays (already being advertised—Yikes!) with all of their flurry of activity.
I try to be mindful of taking some time to enjoy the beauty of autumn although this is difficult to do while I am rushing from campus to home to tend to the millions of little details of day-to-day life, and I know everyone experiences the same fast pace that sometimes has us looking at the ground instead of up at the colorful trees.
So, I remind myself to watch small children who never miss an opportunity to enjoy the world that is around them as they shuffle through a pile of raked leaves, pick up a pine cone off the ground to marvel at its shape and feel, or just lie in the grass letting a cool breeze wash over them.
And I return to one of my favorite essays from This I Believe (one of the books we share at Maria College with the FYE I students). The essay is entitled “A Daily Walk Just to Listen” by chaplain and mother of three Susan Cosio.
Take a minute out of your busy day to be reminded of the necessity of some quiet, unbusy time by reading Ms. Cosio’s essay.
I will leave you this week with a quote from Ms. Cosio’s essay that I use as a calming voice during my busy days: “And I am most at peace when I tune out the voices of the world long enough to hear the still, small voice of God directing me. ‘Be still,’ Psalm 46 reminds me, ‘and know that I am God.”’
Until next time…
Anne