FALL

noun

1) the time for a huge pot of chili
2) a respite from the heat of summer
3) the time to watch football
4) the herald of wonderful things to come, i.e. Thanksgiving, Christmas and a New Year


I love fall. This time of year is my favorite because it brings with it so many of my favorite things. I suppose my love of fall started back when I was in school and I looked forward to returning to classes. Sure, I couldn't wait to see my friends, but also because I loved (and still love) learning. Fall meant new things: new classes, new teachers, a new football season.


It's interesting to write a definition of what fall means to me now and see how different it is from what I would have said or written 15-20 years ago. Growing up on the Gulf Coast, fall didn't exactly mean a respite from the heat... that didn't really come until late November, if at all, but it is truly one of the reasons I love fall now. I clearly remember my first fall in Nashville and realizing that trees do actually have leaves that turn colors and fall off. When you're surrounded by Southern Pines and the occasional Oak, you don't really get the stereotypical colorful foliage.


My mother hated cooking, so a huge pot of chili as a harbinger for fall wasn't added until I grew to love cooking (somewhere within the last 7 or 8 years).


Football has always meant fall and it's been fun to talk football with my mom as an adult and realize that my love for the game came from her. I can remember her sitting and watching whatever the SEC game of the week while folding laundry. I'll be doing that myself in a few hours and will think of her.


Finally, fall is about what comes next: extended family gathered around a table and giving thanks for our many blessings, celebrating Christ's birth and a new year that reminds us of all of the possibilities that await. Each of these holidays focus our attention on a different aspect of life. Thanksgiving makes us look back at what we have to be thankful for, Christmas is a holiday grounded in the present (and, all too often, in the presents) and the New Year encourages us to look forward. As someone who needs introspection to feel alive, this trio of holidays clustered so close together feeds my soul.


I have so much to look forward to.