The song says that Christmas is "the most wonderful time of the year." But for me, my favorite time of year is right about now. I have always loved when summer begins to wind down, and the days get cooler. Even though summer is a wonderful time of year, I still enjoy the weeks that slowly creep to falling leaves and cooler weather. Even as an adult, the season of back to school is exciting for me, as I think it symbolizes change and growth for everyone. Perhaps my favorite part about this time of year is that new things are just around the corner, and the most eventful time of year, the holidays, are not far away.

As a kid, going back to school shopping was always my favorite thing to do. I always looked forward to a new school year. It was a fresh start. As an adult now, I look back on those times, and still have the same excitement. Even though I may not necessarily be going back to school, I do teach preschool, and this time of year always brings me a new classroom of kids when the others go off to kindergarten. This is the change that I enjoy so much. Fresh starts and new beginnings. Challenges that have yet to be faced, but will help you grow. These are all things that I begin to think about and look forward to during this time of year.

After a long summer of sweating out the hot and lazy days, I begin to crave the chilly air and long sleeves. The crunch of leaves on the ground beneath my feet is one of my favorite sounds. It's all of these pieces that come together and create what is my favorite season: Autumn. Even though the air gets cooler, the colors in the trees and all around create a feeling of warmness that ties in the season perfectly together.

And as the season creeps along, the highlight seems to be all of the holidays that occur during this time of year. And while it is busy, it is also a lot of fun. After the excitement of a new school year begins to fade, there's suddenly Halloween to look forward to and picking out fun and creative costumes and spending time with friends whether it's trick or treating or at a party. Then there's Thanksgiving and soon after Hanukkah, Christmas, or Kwanzaa. Each of these holidays represent warm family memories and joyful days. There's not much better than that.

So perhaps this is why my favorite time of year is right now. It represents change and growth. It represents cooler and crisper days with warm colors. It represents joyous times spent with family and friends and much more. All of these reasons are why I believe that now is "the most wonderful time of the year."