It is 7:00 am, and the slightest hint of gray anticipates dawn. Somewhere in the recesses of slumber and darkness I missed the intention to rise earlier. Last week the balance tipped in the northern hemisphere. It tipped toward darkness and away from light. Little voices in my head argued for a few more minutes in bed before we launched the day. I will be setting an alarm for the next few weeks, until we get used to the change.

As a "transition junkie" I find it invigorating to

Autumn offers its gifts in the beauty of changing leaves and the the vitality of frosty mornings.  It brings us "back to school," whether in fact or in spirit, as crossing guards, fall sports, and students with laptops appear. It is a time for canning, preserving the harvest. Hunting, and filling the freezer. Cutting and stacking wood for the fire.

Autumn also issues unique challenges, as we resume a framework of structure and responsibility. Business meetings resume. Phones ring. Calendars fill. Classes convene.   Homework fills the gaps. We may miss the dominance of day and go reluctantly into night.

A change of seasons calls us to re-balance our lives. Just as the equinox-that one day of perfect symmetry between daylight and darkness-passes quickly, the balance in our lives is always in flux.  I wonder, is the season called "Fall" because that's what happens when we don't adjust in time?