As I walked to Mass this morning I realized that the day was very different from the Autumn days which had come before. The sun was shining brightly, the gentle breeze was warm, and the birds sang happily while the ground was covered deeply in multi-colored leaves from the nearly bare trees. The water in the creek eased along, devoid of leaves now but brimming with huge tadpoles. Then suddenly it occurred to me that I was seeing a kind of convergence of seasons, as though Spring and Summer and Fall had all come together for one last warm embrace before the cold of Winter descends upon us to chill everything it touches. Such a beautiful gift, this halcyon time of sunshine and warmth and brightness all around! It is the way my life is now, with the best of Spring and Summer and Fall woven together in a joyful tapestry which holds the Winter at bay. Seasons change, and the Winter will come; but I am content to savor the beauty which surrounds me now, thanking the One whose Love has fashioned it all.
