Autumn Doesn’t Always…

The first day of fall was September 22, 2026, which happened to fall on a Tuesday.

Tuesdays I offer a Thread for anyone to pick up and ponder. I had already chosen my Tuesday Thread for that week: Childlike wonder can…

Fall honestly wasn’t on my mind.

Or was it?

During this time of year, I get my most creative and imaginative. I delight in watching the leaves swirl in the wind. The chilly mornings feel refreshing, and my morning walks begin with stars instead of sunrise.

The ambient lighting in my house casts the warmth as intended. Twinkle lights hang over the kitchen sink window, drape along the fireplace, and weave through old willow branches in a large pottery vase. Battery-operated candles flicker, and dimmed wall sconces give our home a cozy glow.

I had already hung the faux leaf garland, tossed autumn-toned orange pillows onto our large sectional, and hung the seasonal wreaths.

Maybe I wasn’t directly thinking about the first day of fall because I had already started embracing the season.

Some years, I’ve marked the occasion by making little simmer pots that fill the air with seasonal fragrances. This year, I baked a pumpkin cake with cream cheese filling that not only released the smells but satisfied the taste buds.

It does seem odd that the date snuck up on me.

As I write this, I wonder: Am I so distracted by life’s drama that I’m not really present? Or was I still riding the witchy wave of the prior weekend in my wanderings, so the date itself wasn’t necessary for me to celebrate?

The truth is, I don’t have to conclude either.

I’m giving space to both possibilities, and honestly, it’s probably a little bit of both.

I am distracted.

And I was excited.

So on Monday, when I started pondering Tuesday’s post, Childlike wonder can… perfectly complemented the start of the season for me.

What’s more childlike wonder than a time of year celebrated with ghost stories, pumpkins, witches, and treats?

 

Then this week’s Thread arrived:

Autumn doesn’t always…

It felt a little odd and unusual when I could have used something much more expected.

Fall smells like…

Autumn reminds me of…

But I want to share with you where Autumn doesn’t always… allowed me to journey and see if it opens any doors for you.

Autumn doesn’t always… come as expected with cooler days, rain, wind, and falling leaves. Sometimes it’s still 90 degrees, hot, and feels like summer.

Autumn doesn’t always bring good memories.

How would you like to experience autumn now?

Autumn doesn’t always mean a season.

It’s also a name.

Autumn doesn’t always mean sweaters, football games, and bonfires. Sometimes it means slowing down, picking corn, or battening down the hatches for hurricane season.

Autumn could also be a season in life…

Perhaps the prime of life, where we harvest our lived experiences, relationships, expectations, lessons, foolishness, wisdom, losses, gains, and everything else evidenced by:

I am here.

Hmmm…

This thread caught light for me.

I’m intrigued by where it could go.

Shedding leaves don’t give a hoot.

Trees are tired, heavy with fruit.

As Nat “King” Cole sings.

Both of those lines could describe a woman tired of keeping up a performance or appearance for others.

Instead of dressing like a “mature woman,” she wears rock-and-roll T-shirts, jeans, and tennis shoes.

Or perhaps flowy, witchy dresses, coming into her Stevie Nicks era.

Maybe she covers herself in sparkles to be seen as the gem she knows herself to be.

Oh gosh, I’m here for all of it.

Shine, girl, shine.

 

A friend posted yesterday that you’ll never look younger than you do today, along with a picture of herself wearing bright pink lipstick and looking as lovely as she can be.

And I wanted to push back on that statement.

There were times in my thirties and forties when I looked way older than I do on some days now, sliding into sixty.

I think the way I look has more to do with how I feel than my skin suit.

I think I look younger in pictures from five years ago than I did in my forties. And younger in my forties than I did in my early thirties, when I was drinking heavily and felt miserable and trapped.

Also, there’s something that happens around 40 when we feel like we need to start acting “our age.”

We start slowing down.

We make sure we’re dressing appropriately.

I remember sitting in my hairdresser’s chair in Georgia in 2012. I was 45 years old and said, “I’m going to let my hair keep growing because it’ll probably be the last time it’ll be long.”

I really believed that.

Because I was getting older, I needed to start thinking about cutting my hair.

In hindsight, that seems like an insane thing to say.

I did cut my hair off and wore it short for many years.

My hair is longer now than I think it’s ever been.

In truth, I started letting it grow because I’m cheap and I hate feeling stuck in a chair for hours. LOL.

Honestly, I think it’s easier to manage than short hair.

I cut bangs, and they just keep getting in the way. You’re always messing with them because they always need tweaking. Before I had bangs, I could do my hair and be set for the day. No more combing. No more spraying or spritzing. Not a lot of product.

Enough about me.

Let’s move along.

 

Autumn doesn’t always…

I think of the end of summer, maybe around 40 or the mid-forties. We can feel exhausted, just like at the end of summer during the dog days, when everything feels like it’s dragging on.

Maybe this is the time when we start resigning ourselves to:

Maybe it’s time for pull-up pants and short hair.

Ahhhh…

But then we’re hit with beautiful fall.

Oh my gosh.

You get the warm days of summer, but the cooler nights sweep in earlier, so even the hot days feel perfect.

Color fills the landscape.

Warm lights fill the windows as the days grow shorter.

It’s warm.

Cozy.

Homey.

With mischief and magic in the air.

Could that be 45–70?

Just playing here.

Maybe 0–23 is spring.

24–45 is summer.

46–65 is fall.

And winter is beyond.

There is beauty in every season.

Of course, calendar years are just a starting point because we’re all different. It’s a sliding scale. Late forties could be late summer moving toward fall.

It’s all just a thread.

 

Autumn doesn’t always…

This also made me think of my friend Joy, who does color matching for women based on their skin tone, using the seasons.

I think she referred to me as a Summer/Fall skin tone.

That sounds like me.

Unable to hold just one definition.

Look at all the wonderful twists and turns and hidden memories that came out to play from one short Thread.

Weather.

Childlike wonder.

Pumpkin cake.

A woman’s name.

Seasons of life.

Aging.

Clothes.

Sparkles.

Long hair.

My damn bangs.

And somehow, seasonal color analysis.

One short Thread.

 

Autumn doesn’t always…

Now it’s your turn.

As you can see, there is no rhyme or reason, and rambling is perfection.

There is no official end.

You can write, leave, and when another thought arrives, return.

Have fun.

Be delighted.

Get curious.

Autumn doesn’t always…