The Life of Bon: Hello Fall. You again.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Hello Fall. You again.


First things first:

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Moving onwards...

I've always hated fall.  When I was a little girl my dad would say that it was his favorite season and I would stare back at him in shock.  Crazy old guy.  Doesn't have a clue in the world.  How could his favorite season be fall?  It means winter is coming!  It means school!  It means summer is as far away from us as it possibly can be! 

It's just... let's see...how do I describe my love for summer?  It has always been... Intense.  Passionate.  Overbeating.  Bordering on obsessive.

When other girls scribbled "I love Brad" in their notebooks, I scribbled "I love summer."  And it is due to this fierce loyalty to June, July, and August that I saw anything that followed it as an immediate threat to my happiness.  Something that was never to be encouraged or enjoyed, rather it was to be loathed and detested.

Summer was swimming and vacations and no school and sun tans and sleeping in and it was everything I loved.  Fall was an end to all of those things and the beginning of school and homework and early mornings and shorter days and cold weather.  Each year with the first changing leaves, I would grieve.  This marks the real end of the summer.  Even the trees know it now.

For three years in a row, I went as far as to skip out on fall completely.  In 2006, I fled to Hawaii for the fall and in both 2007 and 2008 I was in Argentina.  I didn't want to deal with the mourning process of losing summer again.  Instead, I ran away from fall to places of eternal summer and endless sunshine.

This year I realize an apology is in order. So, fall, here it is..... (you better enjoy it, you're only getting this once!)




I'm sorry. 




You see, I know now that I have long underestimated fall.  It is beautiful.  Suddenly I realize that gone are the 100 degree plus days, sitting in front of the fan trying to get cool, with an air conditioner that doesn't come close to doing the trick.  Gone are the sweltering cars.  Gone are the merciless sunburns. Instead the weather is in the low 80s, still warm and pleasant, and yet a far cry from the miserable levels of heat inflicted upon me in the summer.

Gone is the crazy panic of summer, the chaos, the urgency.  Fall has settled in as a much more simple, relaxed season.  Comfortable with itself.  Summer is insecure and has this constant need to please everyone, whereas fall makes no excuses and says simply "This is it. Enjoy it if you want."  If the seasons were entertainers, summer would be up there, center stage, juggling, dancing, singing, trying with all her might to get your undivided attention.  All the while, fall would be in the background just playing a pretty song on the piano, not really caring if you notice or not.

This September has been a sweet, dare I say, sublime, month.  I don't think there's been even an hour of bad weather, and the days continue to be long and inviting.  I can wear short sleeves or long sleeves, pants or a skirt, fall doesn't care.  He invites all of my clothes.  Fall is summer without its edge.  Without its harshness.  Without its demandingness. 

I've missed out on the beauty of 25 falls because I was too distracted grieving the passing of summer.  I'll always love summer and its craziness and spontaneity.  But now I love fall just as much.  And maybe more.  Say it's a change of heart.  Say it's a part of growing up.  But from here on out I'm a-welcoming fall with open arms.

(But to winter I say, my feelings haven't changed a bit, and I will always hate you.)

Hubs and me on our fall getaway to St. George

A fall evening drive to Wal-mart for groceries yielded this beauty.  Not bad, fall, not bad.


(Originally published September 21, 2011)

20 comments:

  1. Wowza! What a susnset! Fall (or autumn as we say here) has always been the 'winner' season for me- I love the countdown to Halloween/ bonfire night/ Christmas etc. Plus walks are best with a splash of sunshine but a touch or crispness in the air too. Glad you've finally seen the light!Rx

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  2. Anonymous11:31 PM

    I have never loved fall either just because it led to winter... I also hate winter. Hate the cold. But you're right in that it is a beautiful time of year!
    -Meagan

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  3. I love Autumn and Winter - my two favourite seasons!

    That last picture is spectacular!

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  4. I also think it`s a thing of growing up :) As more and more year are pasing, I`m a fall lover more and more.

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  5. Wow...that sunset!

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  6. Thats why Im a Florida girl... We get about two weeks of cold just enough to go through all my winter clothes. Although after last summer/fall in Utah I am IN LOVE with the changing trees and fall I had NEVER seen that before. Here Maybe one tree will change and it probably really is dying... for good... But the COLD... I hate it Ill stick with bathing suits and sunshine

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  7. Oh girl, I love fall. It's pretty much the best.

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  8. Gorgeous sunset picture!

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  9. Anonymous8:10 AM

    Hello, beautiful sunset!
    I feel ya though. I never really appreciated Fall until like 2 years ago.

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  10. This is a great post! What a beautiful picture of the sunset too! You should move to the south where it's still summer. I dislike it though.

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  11. I was the same way for the longest time! Now I am in love with fall and always look forward to it!

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  12. I have one word for you: Adirondacks. Child, you would have turned toward the orange side a lot sooner had you taken one trip through the Adirondack Park mid-October. Swearsies. Look it up.

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  13. I think I'm the same way, I haven't always recognized fall for what it is. Now I know I love almost as much as spring (I like the transitional seasons I guess)

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  14. I have the same love-hate relationship with Fall. I blame working in public education. :)

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  15. wow! that sunset is gorgeous!

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  16. Anonymous11:17 AM

    my dad loves fall as well, and when i was little i did the same thing; looked at him like he had 2 dozen heads. enjoy!

    kate

    latelierbykate.com

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  17. Oh goodness! I thought you were just in St George and I was going to grieve that I missed you!! We live here :) I can totally relate to this post, it wasn't till we moved to the Mid-West for a few years that I learned to welcome and love Fall :)

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  18. I love fall!!! I am glad you guys are friends now :-)

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  19. Oh girl i am SO glad you stopped by my blog because I am so happy to have found yours! LOVE IT!

    And I am so glad you have been converted to fall loving! embrace it. it's awesome. spend some time in a hammock with some god music and a pumpkin spice latté or salted caramel mocha. The smell of apple cider and being able to walk around outside without sweating! you're really going to love it :)

    Joanna @ jo finds joy

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  20. We should be friends. "Why?" you ask..... let me tell you. I too, previously loathed fall. I still loathe winter. It's bitter cold. Biting chill. Hate it. Summer is precious...divine....glorious laziness. As dearly as I love school, I also crave the long breaks associated with it. I like your letter to fall. Perhaps I should write one. I really like fall this year. Something's strange about that. Write it down: In her 29th year of life, Jana began to like fall. Nay, enjoy it.

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