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Fall has always been my favourite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale."
I spotted this quote from author Lauren DeStefano on Facebook and knew I had to match it up with one of my autumn photographs. Fall has always been my favourite season too. The colour, for sure, is one of the most powerful reasons - especially for someone as visually-oriented as I am. Beauty is bursting everywhere - from a single fallen leaf to a lakeside vista.
And while I relate to Lauren's sentiment in this quote, there is another aspect of my love for autumn that belies its "finale" position in the seasonal cycle. Perhaps a hold-over from my school years, fall, not January, always seems like the start of a new year for me. Time to make plans, buckle down. Everything is possible.
There is also a sense of abundance associated with harvest time. Even as a suburban/city kid, autumn was the season that strengthened my rural roots. From The Ex and The Royal, to small, local fall fairs, these harvest festivals yield ribbons and rewards. The atmosphere is awash with accomplishment.
And then there is the centrepiece celebration of autumn - Thanksgiving. Amidst the food, the friends and the family, most of us will reflect, at least briefly, on what we have to be grateful for. Inspired by this insight, generosity and kindness often follow.
Beauty, possibility, abundance, accomplishment, gratitude and grace. Yes, Fall has always been my favourite season.
Additional autumn photos on my Facebook page.