I’m sure you’ve seen them too but lately my Facebook feed has been filled with posts like this:
Photo 1:
Photo 2:
These posts, along with all of the Halloween movies on Freeform and articles like “The Ultimate Fall Bucket List: 25 Fun things to do with your best friends this fall,” announce the arrival of fall. Don’t get me wrong, I love Hocus Pocus and am one of those horrible people who actually likes candy corn, but these posts always hit me in a weird way. I just don’t share the exuberant excitement for fall that a lot of my friends do. Maybe it’s because I don’t really like “fall flavors” (sorry pumpkin spice) or because it’s still 86 degrees and humid in Indiana right now so it does not feel like fall weather, but I’m not excited for fall.
Fall makes me feel both melancholy and hopeful, but not excited.
Fall does not have the sense of renewal and new life that spring does or the carefree vibes that summer does; it is a feeling and a season completely different from the others and although it does not excite me, I want to take a moment to appreciate the wonderful uniqueness of fall.
Fall is the special space after the fun of summer and the crazy start of a new school year but also before the festivities of the holiday season. Fall is the death of summer, the falling of leaves, the letting go of things in order to rest and then bloom again. The death of summer and the chill in the air brings on the melancholy feelings in me, especially when coupled with the stress of a new school year and a slew of changes.
But fall also makes me feel hopeful. The beautiful colors that arise during fall, the return of sweater weather, and the period of transition brings me hope and joy. There is something beautiful about letting go and about surrendering to the flow of time. There is something hopeful about the consistency that appears as people settle into their schedules and habits. There is something hopeful about mist in the mornings and breezes in the evenings. There is something hopeful about change.
So for those that are super excited about fall, I’m very genuinely happy for you! I hope your fall is filled with apple cider, pumpkin patches, spooky movies, those iconic cookies, snuggles and so much more. For those of you, like me, for whom fall is a little weird, a little melancholy, and a little hopeful I say revel in it. Embrace the wonderful contradiction that is fall. Grapple with the paradox of a season that is both hopeful and melancholy. Allow yourself to feel a little bit unhinged as you slow down, settle in, and find the calm that fall can bring. Fall is the perfect type for contemplation and introspection and I encourage you to make space for this in your life. Recognize the feelings of weirdness that fall brings and use it as an opportunity for growth.
Follow HCND on Twitter, like us on Facebook, Pin with us and show our Instagram some love!
Cover Photo:https://www.pexels.com/photo/nature-red-forest-leaves-33109/
Photo 1: https://www.facebook.com/pizzabottle/photos/a.500287346650561/2266714983341113/?type=3&theater
Photo 2: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=157632708452675&set=a.104206370461976&type=3&theater