Into Autumn

A full and restful summer has come to an end. New work and new deadlines are on the calendar, but the lessons of summer will not leave us: Rest is the keystone of a good life.

My personal Chautauqua was a triumph, but summer being too short, and my list of books being too long, Chautauqua carries over into autumn. Color me delighted. Truthfully, I have enough to read clear through the rest of the year, and for a few months beyond. This is comforting.

In the evenings, after dinner has been eaten and dishes are washed and put away, I light a scented candle, and take my favorite place at the dining table – surrounded usually by a small stack of books, a few balls of yarn, and a notepad. I read for about an hour. This has become my routine, and it works to soften the rough edges of the day. Sometimes you don’t know the stress you’re carrying in your body; The stress that accumulates throughout the average day of living an adult life. You notice it when it’s gone, though. You feel lighter, and your body doesn’t ache anymore in places. I guess this is a big part of why I’ve always read books; I learned since childhood that it promises comfort and uplift. It still does.

‘Till next time.