Easing into Fall
Fall has always been my favorite season. I love when the humidity blows away, the cooler mornings invite a different pace, and so many programs, practices, and rituals restart after the summer break. I love the changing colors, the beginning of the process of death and renewal throughout nature, and I am reminded of Lucille Clifton's poem “the lesson of the falling leaves”:
the leaves believe
such letting go is love
such love is faith
such faith is grace
such grace is god
I agree with the leaves
As I enter this season, I come with a deep appreciation for my wife and my trip to Scotland. Our fifteen days were anchored by the celebration of our 30th anniversary. Our time was bracketed by the end of the International and Fringe Festivals in Edinburgh as we arrived, and the death of Queen Elizabeth II as we departed. At the festivals, we saw one show that was a one-woman performance about her experience of living with Down syndrome, an incredibly powerful experience. The next day we attended a show that was an improvised musical, such an incredible performance!
These two performances led us to think a great deal about resilience and perseverance. This theme was highlighted as we hiked across the Scottish bogs, a space where we came to deeply appreciate what it means to be physically “bogged down.” Feeling a foot sink deep into the peaty soil, fearing that I might lose a shoe under the surface, and feeling the cold water fill that same shoe, taught me to stop, to take time slowly and carefully to ease my foot back to the surface. Once recovered, we then continued to hike with the "squish-squish” of my thoroughly soaked feet providing a whole different learning experience.
Our time in Scotland coincided with the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Like all things in this life, the moment and her legacy are so very complex. We heard and saw the deep grief felt by many, but we also saw those who gathered to protest the monarchy. We saw piles of flowers outside Holyrood Castle, and we saw newspaper articles itemizing the extensive financial holdings of the monarchy as a critique of its very existence. It was a strong “both-and” moment, one that embraced the 70 years legacy of a woman who embodied duty and commitment while also acknowledging the painful aspects of that same legacy.
In returning home, I am mindful of the deep discernment in which our board and membership have been engaged as our collective strategic planning process continues. It, too, is a “both-and” moment, one that will not lead to a plan that makes everyone in the association happy, and one that will represent the sense of duty and loyalty our elected leaders bring to this organization. As a staff, we are eager to hear where all of this leads so we can begin to make sure we provide the operational support for its success.
I am so thankful for the commitment of the almost 400 people who volunteer their time in service to the work of this association every year, but perhaps especially in this nebulous post-COVID time. May we believe like the leaves in the autumn season, trusting in the potential of new life in the seasons that are yet to come.