Let’s prepare ourselves some cookies, a pumpkin spice latte, cozy blankets, a sweater, and some movies, and embrace the upcoming season: Autumn. In Autumn, we can feel the year ending due to the change in weather and environment; also, the changing scenery forces us to confront how quickly time flies without us noticing, making people reflect. What is it about? Reflection involves carefully thinking about our past and considering thoughtful moments to analyze what has happened. Therefore, Autumn is the perfect season to reflect because of the climate and environment, the time of year, and emotions are perfect for reflecting on our lives.
Firstly, the weather and surroundings during the fall play a key role in reflection. This is due to the temperature changes, sunrises, sunsets, and the objects or decorations of Autumn. Although Puerto Rico does not seem to have an abrupt temperature change, we can still feel how it begins to feel cold and fresh during the afternoons and evenings. The most abrupt change might be the rain, as it rains every afternoon, but this can be romantic and pleasant at times. Additionally, the time change between sunrise and sunset is evident. Sunrises usually occur later, and sunsets occur earlier, giving us a longer night and beautiful colors at every moment, which invites us to appreciate what nature gives us. Finally, during the fall, people and businesses prepare their spaces for nights and rainy days, with decorations that provide warmth and tranquility for both them and their visitors. The most common colors are orange, brown, and beige. Stores and coffee shops also tend to carry hot drinks, pumpkin-inspired desserts, sweaters, and anything that brings warmth. Autumn helps people reflect by changing their surroundings to create a reflective atmosphere.
Secondly, the time of year greatly influences people’s mood for reflection. The year is almost over, so it is good to look back at what we have done during the year and what is left. In Autumn, the sense of understanding that we have experienced throughout the year arises naturally. Furthermore, holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas are approaching, so we may feel joyful about the upcoming celebrations. In fact, we might become closer to our family and friends, even distancing ourselves from people we feel are not worth it, because we want to enjoy these long-awaited happy moments. The feeling of the year ending and the approaching holidays makes us reflect on everything, perceiving how everything happens in a moment in time, which could cause us to be closer to our loved ones at the end of the year.
Finally, the weather, environment, and time of year brings to our hearts and minds something that makes us reflect more than anything else: emotions. These are responsible for making us want to be more reflective about the situations we have experienced. Emotions such as peace, gratitude, and nostalgia are the most common ones to arise during reflection. As the year is about to end, the way our surroundings have changed brings comfort and peace that helps us deeply analyze the things that have happened throughout the year. Additionally, it gives us the ability to make decisions concerning the remainder of the year. We get this sense of gratitude because thinking about each moment makes us appreciate what we have and take it into account when considering how we wish to continue our path. While happy feelings are the most commonly used for reflection, nostalgia can also contribute to the process of reflection because it takes us back to what we have experienced and how it shaped us. It reaches a level where we begin to notice things we would never have thought about before, because we are seeing both the good and the bad. For this reason, emotions are the key factor in our mood, as the weather, environment, and time impact them. Reflecting develops feelings that allows us to delve deeper into those key moments throughout the year, beyond just a moment in someone’s life.
Autumn invites us to reflect on our year, making us see that we developed and improved during it. Perhaps we did not meet all the expectations we had at the beginning of the year, or maybe we exceeded them, but now is the perfect opportunity to look back, learn from it, and plan the next step. Let’s allow ourselves to enjoy everything that Autumn has to offer and explore those parts of ourselves that we might have neglected during the year. Reflecting does not have to be boring or lonely; we can do it by talking to someone, writing in a journal, or even singing songs that make us feel good about ourselves. The invitation to reflect is on the table every day, no matter the season. Now, it’s our time to sit back and walk the path we have already taken, so we can begin to build the next path to walk on.