I just love this time of year. As much as I miss the daylight at the end of the day, I enjoy turning the clocks back and getting on "fall" time. As nature turns inward, we find clues about how to live the shortened, cooler days. The season signals rest and renewal, reminding us to secure our nests for the winter, and nurture the hearth and the heart.
Ironically, the frenzy of "the holidays" intersects our lives at the time we need to nurture our lives and get more rest. Already, when venturing through Green Hills, I notice the pace and hype revved up to warp speed, and it's not even Thanksgiving yet.

It didn't use to be this way - when I was a child, the season of Christmas didn't start until the first Sunday of Advent. Now we have Christmas displays going up around Halloween.

What is the answer? In the words of Anne Morrow Lindberg, who wrote about life balance in her classic Gift from the Sea, there is no easy answer, no single answer. But as she found clues in the shells she picked up on her seaside retreat, we find clues by watching nature prepare to rest. The trees relinquish their leaves, as the sap returns to the roots. Animals go into hibernation. Nature reminds us not to sweat the small stuff, to cut back on that list of things to do, simplify the holiday season, and nestle into our homes, families and honor the soul.

How can you simplify your life and better enjoy this season of rest?

The Music Of Life:

Reflections on the Unfolding Life