September: A Season for the Senses

by Angela Sanford

   September plays a significant role in Canadian culture. From coast to coast, teachers, students and their families begin—or return to—school. For many of us, the school year has always been more instrumental than the actual calendar in organizing our lives, our routines and even our events.

   August brings a sense of year’s end—a final rush to complete all those summer goals before the new beginning arrives. And despite how quickly August flashes before our eyes, September still manages to sneak up on us.

   Nothing has really changed overnight, and yet, somehow, everything has.

   It is much like turning a page in a book.

   While summer’s warmth extends itself beyond July and August, it begins to claim fewer and fewer days as autumn progresses. The shadows of evening fall upon us earlier each night. The older I get, the sooner that early darkness seems to arrive, and this August was no different. All of a sudden, it was getting dark at eight o’clock, and I am 100 percent certain that never happened in August when I was young!

    As I watched the shadows overtake my gardens each evening, my burning bush steadily changed into brilliant shades of red while the oak trees began to take on hues of orange—much like the grey hairs on my head.

   Originally, there was just a single strand, easily overlooked. Then, one day, seemingly all of a sudden, there were several. Soon, there will be many.

   How did that happen so fast?

   The garden seems to understand.

   As I step into its changing colours, the air smells crisp and fresh and demands that I stop and inhale deeply—a sure sign that a new season is arriving. And in that opportunity to pause and ground myself in the moment, I also realize that the temperatures are falling.

   And, quite honestly, they are becoming pretty much perfect—for me.

   Soon, no doubt, the temperature will drop enough to require us to light the wood furnace, both to take the chill off the house and to eliminate the dampness that comes with those crisp autumn mornings.

   The smoke rising from the chimney should remind me of summer campfires, but somehow, it doesn't. It smells different. Comforting rather than relaxing, it teases my nostrils with scents that seem to be just around the corner: candles, Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas baking.

   Fall has a way of awakening anticipation.

   The dropping temperatures bring a coolness to my skin in the early hours of the day. Fall’s touch comes in the form of the light sweaters and hoodies I keep close at hand. Each time I pull one on, I welcome the softness of the fabric against my skin.

   Even better are the opportunities to pull on my pajamas, wrap myself in a blanket and simply laze in the quiet of an autumn evening.

   A warm mug of whatever my drink of the day happens to be, a comfortable sweater or blanket, and the cool autumn air seem to awaken another craving: a hot, spicy bowl of chili.

   And just like that, the senses of autumn come together.

   Fall is my preferred time of year—a picture worth a thousand words and a delight for the senses. The colours alone bring an instant smile to my face. When I pause to consider all that my senses have taken in—the colours, the smells, the coolness of the air, the softness of a sweater, the sounds of evening—I am reminded just how fortunate I am to live where I do.

   That pause also makes me think about the animals that will soon retreat into hibernation. For now, they are preparing their homes and themselves for the months ahead. There is something wonderfully peaceful about that preparation.

   Perhaps that is what September offers us, too.

   A chance to slow down.

   A chance to settle in.

   A chance to prepare.

   The evenings get shorter, but they also become quieter. The crickets' constant cadence steadies my rhythm and begins to define new routines after the freedom of a structure-free summer.

   Tonight, after I brew a coffee, I will grab a blanket, settle into my deck chair and breathe in the fresh air as I read a book. The golden leaves will dance across my yard, the evening shadows will stretch a little farther, and the crickets will continue their familiar song.

   And in that moment, I will pause, breathe deeply and be forever grateful.

   September has arrived.

   And somehow, just like turning a page, everything has changed.