A New Season, A New Chapter

This morning, fall finally feels like fall.

Maple and I were greeted by a beautiful deer standing right outside the door when we first got up. Of course, she ran away too quickly for me to capture a picture, but the moment was still a lovely surprise.

After a week or two of temperatures in the 80s, cooler weather has arrived. I’ve put on a light sweater, and the view outside my office window is filled with shades of pink, gold, and green. There’s so much beauty right outside my back door.

It feels like a fitting moment to pause. The season is changing, and I’m approaching a new chapter of my own. In about two weeks, I’ll celebrate my 60th birthday.

Sixty. I’m still getting used to that number.

As I think about the next year—and the next five or ten—I feel hopeful. There are friendships to enjoy, ideas to explore, and memories still to make. These past few weeks have reminded me how much the people in my life contribute to that feeling.

The last two weekends, I had the pleasure of reconnecting with good friends from high school who were here at the lake. We reminisced about the past, talked about our lives today, and shared our hopes for the future.

It was uplifting and joyful. There’s something special about spending time with people who knew you so many chapters ago and getting to know who each of you has become. Our conversations made me grateful for our shared history and the opportunity to keep adding to it.

Closer to home, our weekly Mahjong nights continue to give us a reason to gather. One of the ladies came up with a traveling trophy, which has added another bit of fun to our evenings. Between the little trinkets, the trophy, and the weekly laughs, we’re building our own traditions.

We also share our lives around that table. We catch up, hear what’s happening with one another, and make time to be together. I look forward to it every week.

A couple of weeks ago, our ladies’ night became a fall craft night. We decorated pumpkins using patterned napkins and Modge Podge, and it was so much fun. Looking at the finished pumpkins gathered on the table, each a little different, makes me smile. They’re a lovely reminder of an evening we enjoyed together.

There is a bittersweet part to this season, too.

Every year, I have the joy of having my sister just 51 steps away during the summer months. Now she’s heading back to Phoenix for the next six months, where she’ll be closer to her daughter and able to enjoy the beautiful weather there. I usually try to go down and visit her, which gives us something to look forward to during the winter.

Still, I’ll miss not being able to simply bop over to see her. Those 51 steps make spending time together so easy, and her absence will change the rhythm of everyday life. Maple will miss having her dog, Kevin, nearby to play with, too.

We’re both grateful for the months we get to share so close together, even as we get ready to miss them.

Perhaps that’s why I’m noticing these moments a little more right now: a deer at the door, time with old friends, a weekly game, pumpkins around the table, and the changing leaves outside my window.

As I approach 60, I’m thinking about how I want to spend my time and who I want to share it with. I want to keep reaching out, bringing people together, trying things, and making room for the unexpected.

For today, I’m enjoying my sweater and this beautiful fall view, feeling grateful for the people who are part of my life—and optimistic about the chapters we still have ahead.

What are you looking forward to in this season of your life?