Hello Fall,

I might be a little biased because I was born in beautiful October, but I think fall is the best time of the year. With bright blue skies and cool breezes filling your days and football season in full swing, I learn to fall in love with the season each time it comes around. Sweaters and flannels begin to make their way to the front of closets, and apple cider or hot chocolate can be found in the grasps of chilled hands. Pumpkin patches are filled with laughter and photo shoot potential. Corn mazes and haunted houses provide weekend fun, and the smell of hay from hayrides nearby is the scent of these attractions. With all of these activities, family and friends gather together to celebrate community in the beautiful weather fall has to offer.

Last fall for my birthday, I got some of my closest friends together to roast s’mores around our fire pit. In the cool of the night, we sat around the pit telling stories and laughing. One of my friends played guitar as we looked up at the stars and enjoyed the presence of each other’s company. With fall, we learn the importance of community. We learn that going to brunch or farmers markets with friends and family can be a time of rest in the busyness of midterms that fall seems to bring with it. With fall comes simplicity. The calming weather and vibrant colors of the trees provide a perfect backdrop to a pumpkin carving or fire pit gathering.

Holidays are scattered throughout the season offering family and good food filled times. Fall is a season of returning to your roots and reuniting with family members you might not have seen since the last large holiday gathering. Holidays, though, can be a time of sadness for those who have lost someone dear, yet in that sadness, the comfort of the community surrounding you can provide the necessary laughs that break through the tears.

I’m thankful for such a wonderful time of the year. It is a time where beauty and pain can sometimes mix, yet it is met with community that grows tighter in the coolness of the bright blue days. I think it might be time to pull out that fire pit once more and bask in the splendor of community and the season I love so dearly.