The wisdom of the Fall Season
The fall season on the farm is a mixture of emotions. Equal parts relief & exhale, combined with the desire to take a very long nap, but in the same breath, the itch to tidy up all the lingering projects that were cast aside during the intensity of the high season of summer. Preparing for the late fall and winter months is wired into our DNA as human beings, and yes, that is something we feel even in Hawai’i. Winter is unpredictable up here on the mountain, and we never know if it will be a winter of many big storms or just a few.
No matter what climate you’re living in, the fall season invites us to reflect, to take stock of what has been grown and cultivated, both on a very real physical level and also on an emotional, personal one. Farming and living in the rhythm of the seasons teaches us about a time to go inward and reflect, a time for planting seeds and envisioning what’s next, a time for cultivating and nurturing, and a time for harvest.
When the outside world feels chaotic and scary, being in tune with the seasonal shifts is a welcome necessity for our precious hearts and nervous systems.
As a new mother, this year has made it crystal clear to me that we must pace ourselves to stay resourced as community members during these times so we can keep growing and showing up for each other, which feels more important than ever.
If you’ve been feeling weary, tired, or overwhelmed, I hope that this is an invitation for you to slow down if you can, even for just a few minutes per day, to take a deep breath, go outside, observe a sunset, or spend time preparing your garden or farm for the winter. Our bodies are designed to stay in rhythm with seasonal shifts so that our minds can be just a little bit more at ease. This could be mistaken for apathy in a global world ever demanding our attention and care. But the wisdom of the fall season tells us otherwise—the plants show us that we were never meant to bloom all year long—in fact, the dormancy of fall and winter are harbingers of bountiful springs and summers yet to come.
