I can’t let autumn fly by, without a few thoughts on this beautiful time of the year. So, today I’ve put together some brief reflections on this season by four writers—all happen to be women.
The first is a quote by George Eliot—whose real name was Mary Ann Evans. She used her masculine pen name for her famous books including Middlemarch, Silas Marner, and Mill on the Floss. Here’s what she wrote about Autumn:
Delicious Autumn!
My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird
I would fly about the earth seeking successive autumns!
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The next three reflections are from the book The Circle of Life: The Heart’s Journey Through the Seasons by Joyce Rupp and Macrina Wiederkehr:
From “Antiphons for Autumn”:
O seeds sprung loose from dying plants,
Come! Come teach us to be generative.
Carry us to places where we can take root.
Encourage the seed of our love to fall freely.
Gift us with the grace of surrender.
O Come!
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Macrina Wiederkehr:
“Autumn leads the seasons in modeling the sacred practice of recycling. What seems to die bespeaks a quiet truth: that which falls into the earth is never lost. The earth receives it and preserves it. Thus it becomes a nurturing source for new beginnings as another cycle of growth arises. This miracle of transformation is autumn’s prayer.”
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Joyce Rupp:
“My autumn memories as a child have deepened in me as I have grown older. They draw me into a season that engenders gratitude for both the material and spiritual harvests of years gone by. It is a season rich with wisdom, reminding me time and time again to treasure the beauty, appreciate what is, and then, let go when it is time.”
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And finally, a poem by the 19th Century American poet, Edna St. Vincent Millay. (This poem is in the public domain.)
“God’s World”
O World, I cannot hold thee close enough!
Thy winds, the wide grey skies!
Thy mists, that roll and rise!
Thy woods, this autumn day, that ache and sag
And all but cry with colour! That gaunt crag
To crush! To lift the lean of that black bluff!
World, World, I cannot get thee close enough!
Long have I known a glory in it all,
But never knew I this;
Here such a passion is
As stretcheth me apart,–Lord I do fear
Thou’st made the world too beautiful this year;
My soul is all but out of me,–let fall
No burning leaf; prithee, let no bird call.
For reflection:
Did any of the above reflections stand out for you today? If so, which one(s)?
Did any photo catch your attention?
What would YOU say to the season of Autumn?
The video today is some drone footage of the autumn foliage in Canada and the U.S. The soft guitar music is a fitting accompaniment to the lovely sights you will see. (3 mins.)
I welcome you to write a comment below on the reflections, the photos, the video, or your own thoughts on fall. No matter how brief your comment may be, it is greatly appreciated by all our readers–and me!
9 Responses
Morning blessings to all,
I, too, have felt the deep sentiment expressed by Edna St. Vincent Millay:
“Thou’st made the world too beautiful this year.”
I will hold this prayer of gratitude close, especially this morning as I drive through the vibrant reds, brilliant oranges, and stunning yellows.
Praise God!
Joanne, That’s my favorite line from the poem. On many occasions, when I’ve been overwhelmed by the beauty of nature, I’ve found myself saying these very words… Thanks for responding! Melannie
Good afternoon, Sr. Melannie…
O seeds sprung loose from dying plants,
Come! Come teach us to be generative.
Just beautiful!
John, And it takes LOVE to be generative… Love in all it’s big and little ways… Good hearing from you again, John! Melannie
I love Macrina’s description of fall as “sacred recycling”. It helps me reflect on what might be dying, or simply going dormant, for future growth.
“Autumn leads the seasons in modeling the sacred practice of recycling. What seems to die bespeaks a quiet truth: that which falls into the earth is never lost.”
And the stunning drone footage makes me want to be a bird and seek fall everywhere.
And Joyce’s thoughts seem to embrace mindfulness:
“It is a season rich with wisdom, reminding me time and time again to treasure the beauty, appreciate what is, and then, let go when it is time.”
Thank you for your thoughtful and inspiring reflection on such a rich season.
Amy, And thank YOU for YOUR thoughtful reflection on this reflection. You wove together so beautifully some of the main themes of the four writers. Thank you for your rich words! Melannie
Melanie Here are my thoughts about this season God has given us another beautiful gift and it hurts to have to rake them up as if we are throwing His gift away. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful God . Have a nice day.
This time of year, I always turn to Hartley Coleridge’s sonnet “November,” easily findable online. Peace and light to all! It’s been a while since I’ve been here. Grateful for a recent email from Sr Melannie.
I wrote this a week ago, after the passing of my brother. Fall is my favorite season. I’m grateful to have found your website today. God Bless ~
Autumn’s reminder of change ~
The fall season has always carried with it a quiet reminder that nothing stays the same. The air turns cooler, the leaves shift to brilliant colors before falling and being released back into the earth; and the days grow shorter. Nature tells us, in its own tender way, that life is a cycle of holding on and letting go.
This year, though, autumn will feel different for my family. My brother’s recent passing has made the season’s message of change feel especially close to home. Just as the trees shed what they can no longer keep, we are learning to let go of the presence we long for but cannot hold onto.
Grief, like the season, is a mixture of beauty and ache. Memories rise like the bright colors of the leaves—vivid, cherished, and sometimes bittersweet. There’s comfort in remembering his laughter, his stories, and the love that will always remain. Yet, just as autumn prepares the earth for rest before new life, we are slowly learning that even in loss, there is a quiet promise of healing.
My brother’s passing, though painful, it is also sacred. It asks us to pause, to feel deeply, and to carry forward what matters most. And in that way, even as the season shifts, so too does our love for those we’ve lost—it doesn’t fade, it simply takes on a new form.
Through grief, there can be a rediscovery of life, just as after Autumn succumbs to Winter, next will come Spring..the season of hope and renewal as the cycle begins again.
So I will anticipate, celebrate, and rejoice this autumn for many of the same reasons I can take heart and find hope.
“Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go.”
Lisa Harper