I love September.
Yes, my birthday is next week, but that’s not why I love September.
September is the definitive border between summer and fall. When the first of September appears, there is a clear demarcation between those who are in disbelief that the summer is over, and those who are giddy with what the end of summer means. Today may find you reminiscing about the best of your summer adventures, longing for one more day at the beach or the pool, loathing the return to routine and the possibility of cooler temperatures. Certainly, I’m not immune to those feelings either. Our last day on vacation, I remember bobbing in the frigid Atlantic, goose-bumps covering my arms and legs like a nasty rash and thinking, “I don’t want to leave! I don’t want to leave!” Truthfully, if someone had said that I could have one more day, that wouldn’t have satisfied me. I needed more. More time. More days. More experiences of just being. The bittersweet end of vacation was bitter because we were leaving, but sweet because September was quickly approaching.
There are some days that just make you happy. Birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, Arbor Day, perhaps. The first of the month — any month — is usually a good one, but the first of September is high on my list. It’s opening the lid on beautifully wrapped box. Inside are crisps breezes, jewel colored leaves, and comfy cozy sweaters. I love digging into that box, lifting out puffy vests and knee high boots, pulling out cups of pumpkin spiced lattes with curling ribbons of steam escaping their lids. There are football games to watch at homecoming celebrations, squashed in the stands between your sorority sisters. There are holidays to prepare for, travel plans to arrange, and menus to plan. There is so much promise in that box.
Fall is the seasonal equivalent of wrapping yourself in your most comfortable lounge clothes, pulling your favorite book into your lap with a yummy snack within reach as you settle in for some quality quiet time.
Fall is the reward for having survived bathing suit season.
Fall is the lull in the calendar between winding down for school and winding up for winter.
Fall is burnt sienna, burgundy, and ocher.
Fall is carefully carved pumpkins, crunchy leaves, and bare-limbed trees swaying in a smoke tinged wind.
Fall is here and I am so glad.