CHANGE HAPPENS

We live in the Midwest where we are in the midst of the season's change from the heat and green of what seemed to be a relentless Summer to the crisp coolness and spectacular colors of Autumn, on the verge of Winter.

I love and embrace the changing of each season. To live in the Midwest one must, or at least tolerate the changing seasons, simply because it will happen. Autumn is by far the best season in here in the Midwest. Maybe it is because the spectacle of color combined with warm days and cools nights - the change seems to occur more gradually giving the opportunity to enjoy the transformation as it unfolds daily.

Late-August through early-November, each day brings subtle changes in the colors of leaves on the various species of trees in our area.  There are the maples as they turn from green to gold to russets, and the oaks as they drop their acorns creating a gathering frenzy as the squirrels and chipmunks scurry about to store this bounty for the long Winter to come. All the while the leaves of these might oak trees change from green to yellow to copper. This incredibly beautiful season of color is short-lived as the leaves wither and die, falling from the branches leaving the trees to stand bare against the sky, braced to face the inevitable harshness of the next season.

The gales of mid-November provide an urgent reminder to prepare for the next approaching season. The day-time temperatures have fallen from the mid-70s to abruptly colder only reaching highs in the 40s to 50s. The days have grown shorter as the sun begins to set in the late afternoon, bringing darkness by five o'clock. It is November's job to prepare us for the next season, bringing chilling winds that blow wild and fierce, reminding us that Winter creeps closer daily.

Winter brings snow and often the snow comes well before Winter's official arrival. Snow... I love snow! When it snows at night, it is so quiet and sparkly flakes land softly, covering everything in a pure white blanket. There is nothing like walking or just being outside on a snowy night. Unless you consider waking up to a perfectly blanketed yard before anyone else is up. The wonders of Winter also bring frigid cold, grey, snowy days that seem to last some years until almost June. But the earth begins to gently warm and eager green shoots

appear to be pushing the melting snow out of the way to catch the sun and before we know it Spring has arrived.

Now that the change from Autumn to Winter is upon us, and the world around us continues to change in unprecedented ways, I choose to embrace the change of the seasons and the changes happening in my life. The pandemic has wrought so much uncertainty for everyone, and it feels like now is my time to pivot - to no longer put off something that I have thought about doing for a while.

When I say that I thought about starting out on my own for a while, it has been about 5 years that it has been on my mind. Why did I wait, if I embrace change? Well it was easier (safer) to stay at the job I had, or take another one when it was offered. Then COVID happened. I knew I needed to think about the future differently. Nothing is for certain, so what was I waiting for or expecting to come along to make it happen for me?   

Winter is coming on and I love the snow.