Waking Up to Fall

Rain woke me at 4:30 a.m. this morning. I could have gotten up. Instead, I snuggled in bed for more than an hour amidst the rain sound. I let myself on a Saturday morning.

I lit a candle, put on slow autumn jazz, and let the morning move at its own pace.

Somewhere along the way, I completely forgot about the weekly dance class that I normally don't want to miss. And when I remembered, I didn’t rush. I simply let it go.

Outside, fall was quietly taking over. The rain had softened the landscape, mist hung in the trees, and the paths glistened through the green. So I went for a long, luxurious walk in the rain.

No agenda. No catching up. Just walking. Breathing. Listening.

Maybe this is one of the gifts of slow living: Not every moment needs to be optimized. Some mornings are meant to be slow. Some plans are meant to be missed. And some days simply ask us to stay awhile and enjoy being present.

I welcome fall with wide open arms...