Autumn Exists to Remind Us That Things Must End to Begin Again

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"What I fear I avert.

What I fear I pretend does not be.

What I fright is quietly killing me.

Would there were a festival for my fears, a ritual burning of what is coward in me, what is lost in me.

Let the low-cal in before it is too late. "

 Jeanette Winterson from "The Green Human"

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"Autumn shows united states of america how beautiful it is to let things go."

Unknown

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Well <part ane>.

I just read a an article in one of those local papers you can pick upward at Salubrious Grocery stores which attempted to discuss how this time of the year <October/Nov/December> is the season of 'decay and death' … and how it was a potent time to connect with the dead <and highlighted several celebrations around the world which exercise only that>.

This idea was combined with the thought nosotros man folk cramp at connecting with decease because it … well … seems morbid to practice so.

and summer regrets

               getting rid

       of winter wishes

summer and i

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Well <part ii>.

I balk at the whole concept of 'decay & decease' as well equally the 'morbid' idea.

Simplistically, seasons remind of u.s. the cycle of Life <not death> and that death, in and of itself a sad event, contains at its very core the very simple concept that without Death, at that place is no Life. This was immortalized in pop culture by Claret Sweat & Tears in their admittedly fabulous vocal "and when I die":

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And when I die and when I'thousand dead, dead and gone,
there'll exist one child built-in and a world to carry on, to carry on.

I'one thousand not scared of dying and I don't actually care.
If information technology'due south peace you detect in dying, well, then let the fourth dimension be near.
If it'due south peace you find in dying, when dying time is here,
just bundle up my coffin crusade information technology's cold way down there,
I hear that's it'due south cold way down at that place, yeah, crazy common cold way down there.
And when I die and when I'grand gone,
there'll be one child born and a world to carry on, to carry on.

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While each Life is a stepping stone for every future generation each death represents a stepping stone for … well … the future.

I don't need any Eastern religion wisdom to remind me of this, I retrieve we all know this.

Now, I will admit that connecting with this idea is much much easier for us when we remove any personalized death and have it equally merely a turning of generations. Therefore, one of the reasons we practise not gloat death is because information technology can get besides personal. And if that is a reason it certain as hell is a good one.

But death itself?

While death is something nosotros dislike, facing seasons remain something nosotros must face year in and yr out. It is a abiding affidavit of the turning of time and that some things we may take gained will nearly probable be inevitably lost in the natural plough of time.

And, aye, as nosotros near January 1st, I am reminded that Winter is the fourth dimension of Life's strategic retreat and conservation of what gives it all life.

Information technology is not death. And it is not decay.

It is Life's thoughtful way to insure its existence and survival.

It is the time of incubation and rest and restoration for all things to come up in the following yr.

I could also suggest that winter is a fourth dimension of reflection and, well, comfort. In winter'southward dark nights the stars are at their clearest and nosotros have the opportunity to run across them equally the sparks of potential and wishes and dreams and Life. Uhm. And dreaming is never a bad thing especially during the 'ebb tide of seasonal Life.'

I volition non argue that as Life recedes in autumn and rests in winter nosotros practice, at to the lowest degree emotionally, get closer to connecting with death, but I do balk at thinking of autumn & wintertime equally 'things associated with decease.'

I would contend information technology actually does a nice job of reminding us we demand to let go of things. and, certain, maybe nosotros connect with 'the dead' improve at this time considering it reminds us to gloat what nosotros had and embrace letting go.

And that is the matter well-nigh winter, it demands to non only exist felt merely likewise that yous meet it on its terms. Even better Winter demands u.s. to let become of things nosotros nearly typically concur onto with ragged claws.

You cannot refuse its beingness and y'all cannot ignore what was because what is … is … well … is starkly different. Where Life was once obvious information technology is now starkly absent.

I would note that all Eastern mysticism and 'existence in touch with the universe' and the 'natural ebb of the earth' and all that stuff, at its cadre, simply suggests that we pay attention. In other words, pay attention to whatsoever energy seasons give us and more frequently than not that energy it gives us is … uhm … just proficient ole fashioned thinking. It gives usa the energy to think about our lives, lives lost and lives yet to exist lived.

Acknowledgement of all of that increases your overall connection not but with 'the universe', but rather to the eternal pattern of life and invests a sense of energy into pretty much everything <yourself and Life>.

And merely every bit Death breaks things down to the bare essence, winter does the same.

And maybe that is the connection.

When things are at their barest, when we are fatigued closer to endings rather than beginnings, nosotros inevitably ponder the 'great perhaps.'

Dorsum in September I wrote this on the first day of Fall:

I think we all seek a bang-up possibly of "what I know can be". I think we all know what a amend world actually looks similar. I call up we all want to see the dazzler that tin be found in what is better in everyone.

And perhaps information technology is within Fall and the falling leaves we brainstorm to improve grasp that failed plans and failed dreams can beget new plans and new dreams. And maybe information technology is inside Winter where , in ts barest of bare essences, nosotros are forced to begin envisioning what could be in plans and dreams considering it is left to united states of america continuing in the bare surroundings around the states.

What I do know about all seasons is that they are markers of Fourth dimension and, poetically speaking, Time is ever hungry for many of the things nosotros dearly want to endure and practice.

This makes Fourth dimension both beautiful and doomed. Aye. Time is beautiful and doomed. And that is where I really believe the whole 'morbid time of the year' goes off-target.

for information technology seems all of Fall's stars

                       have fallen

and often summer and i

run through the final warm days

through the cool grass

       gathering stars caught in people'due south dreams

with the intent

           to toss them to Wintertime

through windows of dawn.

Summer & i

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We, especially in the West, hunger for time.

Conversely, time itself <to united states Western folk> has a hunger and its hunger is for 'things.'

It is a nasty emptiness waiting to be filled.

Well.

If in that location is one affair humans are fucking keen at, it is filling time and stuffing whatever we can into whatsoever emptiness we can find.

Death and dying makes usa reflect. Information technology forces u.s. to practice and so. Only every bit the bare oft starkness of Winter does.

And it makes us reflect on what 'stuff' we accept crammed into whatever Time we have had.

Oh. Perhaps what it really forces us to exercise is reflect upon time. and that is where death truly makes us feel uncomfortable, non whatever morbid feeling, but rather it'due south just that nosotros have been indoctrinated to focus on living, living life to its fullest, not wasting any time, to do lists that never go completed and just doing shit <but do it!>.

Nowhere in that list of shit I only shared does decease have a identify. In fact. Expiry represents the exact opposite of everything society & our culture nearly demands we think about 24/7.

And when forced to face up expiry, or feel a need to connect, nosotros are much less likely to gloat merely rather appraise … assess our 'doing mantra' versus 'end.'

Wait.

Most of u.s. don't purposefully ignore connecting with death and those who have passed away considering of sadness <because if information technology were we would exist more probable to actually practice information technology because the opposite of sadness is reflecting upon the inevitable happiness>, merely rather because decease and past lives force united states of america to reflect upon our 'doing achievement' <likewise as it forces us to stop … which compounds the feeling of 'shit, I oasis't washed enough and I am not doing anything now' >.

Yeah.

If you can get beyond the 'doing' attribute, inherently death is more about sadness <loss of something or someone or time> more than so than morbidity. Conquer the sadness and yous have conquered death.

And all of this is just not that hard <if you are willing to really think almost information technology>.

Several cultures practise celebrate the autumnal solstice as the time life & death is closest. I would argue it is less a celebration merely rather recognition of that which came before, and that which is dying, so that what will be volition come up forth.

Generations beget generations only equally falls afford springs.

Death begets life.

This doesn't mean we should gloat impending death but rather recognize, fifty-fifty in sadness, life & beauty resides in the future.

Fall is of cute dying.

Winter is of starkness of death.

Bound is of rebirth from decease.

This doesn't mean y'all can notice cute things to bask throughout whatsoever season.  Seasons simply remind us of the fact fourth dimension does not stand still and no matter how difficult we try and fill up upwardly the emptiness time offers us 24-hour interval in and solar day out … leaves autumn, winter comes and jump arises.

I believe it is the Celtic cycle of the year describes this time of the twelvemonth as Samhain — "the veil between the worlds is sparse." Just as several other cultures, they apply his time to reflect upon "that which was." In my pea like brain information technology is a celebration of navel gazing. Information technology is an intentional event to purposefully explore the valuable relationship not only between Life and Decease just the past and the future.

Listen to the weep of falling leaves,

            but wintertime breaks the silence

and warms us with words

of how to change it all

      earlier the Autumn completely ends.

So, So

Expect.

I don't believe we do not gloat decease and dying because we think it is morbid. I tend to believe we practise not traditionally exercise so because we, as in Western civilization versus Eastern, don't celebrate reflection.

We treat reflection more equally  a personal thing and non a larger more public event and celebration.

Should we celebrate reflection? Shit. I don't know. Merely understanding that seasons can offer us enlightening thoughts well-nigh how we actually think about death & Life & belongings on & letting go is surely not a bad thing.

As for Fall and Wintertime? I practice non think of decease and disuse. I really remember of flowers.

Huh?

I credit Mark Strand for making me recall Winter is the time to bring flowers into your Life as he describes Winter in his poem called Blizzard of One:

"A time between times, a flowerless funeral. No more than that …"

Mark Strand <Blizzard of 1>

Every funeral deserves flowers. Every Winter deserves thoughts of Life. Ponder.

hammondagam1989.blogspot.com

Source: https://brucemctague.com/tag/autumn-shows-us-how-beautiful-it-is-to-let-things-go

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