Fall has arrived in Tucson with crisp mornings and only 90 degree afternoons--a welcome relief from the constant heat advisories that rolled through all summer.
My partner, Thomas, and I took a road trip yesterday to a beloved community farm and the abundance of the harvest filled us with joy. I was in awe at the plump, orange pumpkins dotting the rows and rows of leafy green vines. Radiant red peppers and giant green zucchinis lay in masses. We walked by corn stalks and yellow squash and I told Thomas the story of the three sisters--an Indigenous story about corn, beans, and squash helping each other to thrive by being planted together. On our drive home we marvelled at the wild saffron sunflowers that lined the highways.
As I sip my coffee today in the cool morning air, I know that the leaves on the aspens north of us in Flagstaff, AZ are turning yellow, and I know that our southern cottonwoods will soon follow. The autumn season notoriously gives me pause. It is impossible for me to watch the natural world around me change and not reflect on my own changing.
Here is what nature is showing me:
Abundance; togetherness for thriving; and change.
Questions for reflection:
Abundance--
What is abundant in your life?
Where do you experience nourishment?
Offer a prayer of thanks.
Togetherness for thriving--
Who helps you stand tall?
Paint a picture of the community that lifts you up in your mind. What and who do you see?
Who is not in this picture that might benefit from the strength of your community?
Change--
What is changing in your life?
What can you let go of?
Where do you see beauty in these changes?
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