Loving Autumn and How We Remember
Where are you finding joy these days?
Hi friends,
Brief note today:
Fall, a season of renewal, has begun. The trees lose their leaves, signaling the beauty in letting things go. Thank you, cool air. Moderate temperatures are especially welcome after a record-hot summer. Some psychologists attribute comfort, optimism and peace to the warm colors of fall, like the shades of red, orange and yellow that leaves show us in October and November.
“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall,” F. Scott Fitzgerald writes in The Great Gatsby, similar to Albert Camus’ observation that “autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”
We also shall reflect on George Eliot’s version: “Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird, I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."
And, in the spirit of autumn musings, I love how author Susan Cain puts it: “Everything gives way to something else: nations, seasons, humans — we all move through the mystifying cycle of births, deaths and rebirths. Summer doesn’t want to give way to autumn, but autumn is beautiful too. It has its own exquisite music. So, the proper way to live is with grace and acceptance.”
How lovely. Which speaks to you?
To appreciate autumn and witness the changing seasons, I’m outside, enjoying many walks. When it’s not raining, I spend much of the day outdoors, including this very moment as I write these words. Most days, I bring my laptop and hotspot outside to work. Other times, I venture into parks without my computer and see where my mind wanders or what I notice. I take the same routes and try to find new details with each visit — the way a tree stands, how light reflects on a pond under the afternoon sun, or where people (and dogs) tend to congregate.
Not too long ago, I surveyed the benches at Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, scribbling notes from each dedication plaque. I felt an impulse to share them with you here. Their messages remind us of what’s most important in life, what matters most, and how we remember one another. I hope you find them as comforting as I do.
(As an aside, two people were playing music while sitting on one of the benches. A young boy, maybe, 8 or 9 years old, walked up to them and mustered the courage to tell them: “Um, I just want to say, I really like your music.”)
Park bench reflections:
It is a happy talent to know how to play. — Ralph Waldo Emerson…dedicated to those who want to play, ponder and appreciate.
In memory of our beloved son and brother. Loved by so many.
Love you forever, sweet bubba. We miss you every day.
Loving and devoted father, husband, brother and grandfather and friend. Enjoyed classical music, playing tennis, gardening and model boat making. He is greatly missed.
Wife. Mother of Aaron. Cherished Friend. Author, Weaver … historian. I will always love you.
Dear and loving wife, friend, favorite aunt, librarian, activist. Somewhere over the rainbow, forever in our hearts.
Bringer of joy to all he met.
Your unbounded love, kindness and generosity will never be forgotten.
Who taught us, life is meant to be enjoyed, not endured. Your love and light always shines upon us.
Who loved his family and friends. Loved Brooklyn and loved — and lived — the heck out of life.
A poem from one of my favorite poets, Mary Oliver:
Parting question: Where are you finding joy these days?
Parting thought: “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched — they must be felt with the heart.” — Helen Keller
Celebrate your gifts,
Matthew
I would love to be memorialized on a park bench with an inspirational quote ... with a view of a beautiful tree.
My favorite poem about trees. My father had it memorized and used to recite it often.
https://poets.org/poem/trees