Every fall, the world around us transforms. The air becomes crisp, campus trees shift from green to golden shades of red and gold and the ground slowly becomes carpeted with leaves. This season is beautiful, but moves quickly. One windy day is enough to strip the branches bare, reminding me that fall is a season of letting go. To be honest, I never used to think much about that. As a kid, falling leaves meant jumping into piles, and half heartedly raking as my dad supervised. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to notice the quiet lessons hidden in the season. Watching the trees let go of their leaves, I realize that change doesn’t have to be playful- it can be natural, even beautiful when we allow space for it.Â
College has made that lesson ever clearer. My freshman year, I carried a LOT with me. Expectation of how things “should” go, friendships that no longer fit and the constant pressure to have my entire life planned out. The weight of those things held me back from activities I could have, and should have, said yes to. Sophomore year so far has felt different. I understand now that letting certain things fall away, just like the leaves, opens room for growth. Old routines fade, and new ones take their place. Letting go doesn’t mean losing, it means making space.Â
That doesn’t mean it’s easy, not at all. Sometimes the things we hold onto feel comforting, even if they no longer serve us. A routine, relationship or even a mindset can feel like a safety net. Fall, however, shows that release isn’t always loss, it’s part of a cycle. Trees never mourn their leaves; they trust that spring will bring fresh growth. The season also frames change in such a peaceful way. Instead of shouting or demanding transformation, fall quietly demonstrates it.A tree doesn’t rush to drop its leaves, it happens in its own time. And in between, there are moments of beauty. Moving forward, that’s how I want to approach change in my own life, not with fear, but with the understanding that grace can live inside transition.Â
Of course, fall isn’t only about big, reflective lessons. There are many small joys, like football games, movie nights, fall candles and hoodies. Even those cozy traditions tie back to the bigger theme. They remind me that while some things fall away, other things stay. My favorite hoodie and spending time with friends are all constants that I cherish while the rest of life shifts around me.Â
So when I walk around campus and see leaves scattered everywhere, I don’t see mess or change. I see the reminder that the season of letting go isn’t about loss, it’s about trust. Trust that even as things fall away, something new is waiting for you. So embrace it. Embrace the change, go with the flow. Good things are waiting for you on the flip side.