This morning as I was sipping my tea, I was looking out my window and admiring the park across the street and noticed that many of the trees have begun to show their fall colors. A mourning dove has a nest of chicks in a tree outside another window, and earlier I caught sight of a cocoon in our jade plant in the front yard. The air is crisp and a little cooler in mornings and evenings.

Fall is here.

I feel enlivened by early fall. I feel relieved that it’s a little cooler and I feel my energy growing. The hot sun of the late summer months drains me, and I tend to exert less physical energy. On this morning, I feel an inner sigh and I welcome the shifting weather.

I’m not naïve, I know what’s coming: shorter days… darkness… and then winter!

Meanwhile on the other side of the globe, I imagine spring is starting to take hold, and I wonder what people are experiencing there.

There can be so much to take in.

There is a lot on my mind: my ailing cat, frailty in some friends and family, global warming, the dire situation in Afghanistan and many other countries, COVID-19 here and across the world, and so much more.

Sometimes it feels overwhelming.

Sometimes like this morning though, I am able to meet those feelings of overwhelm with a quiet moment where I sip my tea, admire the abundance and beauty of the natural world, and feel grateful.

When I allow myself these moments, my inner emotional/spiritual tanks fill and I notice I am more resilient in dealing with the situations I find troubling, more willing to reach out a hand to others, and more compassionate to those that cross my path. For me, these quiet moments are critical to doing my part to create the world I want to live in.

Marshall Rosenberg inspired this in me over 20 years ago… He is on my mind today as his birthday is right around the corner on October 6^th. I miss you, Marshall. I am grateful for you and your work, and I send blessings to you and to your family.

Now. What about YOU today? What is it like where you are? What do you see outside your window? What troubles you? And what are you grateful for today?