Autumn: A Season of Gratitude

DSC05793

I’m really happy that autumn is here. Each season brings a gift, a new reason to celebrate life.

Summer used to be my favorite season, but now autumn has taken its place. Since I started college in 2000, the beginning of autumn has felt like the beginning of a new year. Not only do most school years start in August or September, but my birthday is on September 16, just a few days before autumn officially begins. September has become my month for thinking about the upcoming year.

Usually, with each new year, I feel hope and excitement about the possibilities ahead. And I feel motivated to set goals for myself. Of course, sometimes I also think about any expectations that weren’t met during the previous year.

I woke up on the morning of September 23, the first day of autumn this year, feeling incredibly grateful. It wasn’t a forced gratitude, either, like the times when I’ve hyper-focused on lists of “what I should be grateful for.” This was a deep and genuine gratitude for my life, struggles and all.

The night before, I had a dream that I was in a post-apocalyptic world. I don’t remember the details of my dream, but as I woke up, I realized how blessed I was to be living a “normal,” predictable life. We live in a house in a quiet neighborhood, we have jobs and money in the bank, and I have a car that I can drive to an actual grocery store. I woke up realizing the value of the simple–even boring–aspects of my life.

Later that day, I truly appreciated the cool autumn breeze. (Not only was it lovely, but it made up for the fact that my car’s AC wasn’t working.) I stopped by this pond during my break, and I let the sun and the wind wash over me, reminding me that life can be magnificent.

DSC05780

As I begin a new season, a new year, I want to be more grateful. Even if it’s a forced gratitude at times, hopefully it will be the kind that I can feel beneath the surface. I want to appreciate the many simple-yet-important things that I take for granted.

I also want to be more patient, because this season may not bring everything that I want it to, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be a significant season of my life. Not all of the puzzle pieces are beautiful. Some are difficult to make sense of. But each one matters.

8 Comments

  1. Maurice

    Every season marks the end and a beginning of
    a new dawn in life.It shows that to have a meaning
    life every step needs to be taken seriously.All
    achievements and challenges should not be taken
    for granted since that they mark important situations
    in this world.Achievements energize a performer to
    explore his/her abilities.They also trigger motivation.
    There has been a common perception that challenges are
    associated with failure.They act as ingredients towards
    personal growth and development.Challenges enable one to realize what made him/her not to hit the target.
    They give the victim time to evaluate the situation thus devising a new way and approach towards solving a problem

    Some situations may sound painful but they lead to
    mastery if well-polished.They enable one understand what is achievable
    within a given period,since some goals need different levels of patience
    and expertise than others.

  2. Rachel

    Yes, challenges can be blessings, particularly when people use them to better themselves.

Leave Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *