Happy Friday...

Niagara is noted for the beauty of the terrain, the lake and river, the old homes.  Niagara also has a winter far milder than that of nearby areas like Buffalo NY and Ontario locations only an hour away. 

Now that autumn is here, the green ash trees around town are showing some yellow leaves with more to come as the season wears on.  Tonight, I understand, may bring our first frost of the lengthening nights. 

Autumn inspires reflection, and those reflections are often somber as we note the ending of the long summer days, of the growing season, of the calendar year.  Such sober reflections, though, miss the glory of the season. Nature doesn't move quietly into winter, dragging its heels, so to speak, in sadness at the loss of summer.  Instead, it throws a party complete with food and decorations.

And so, I am thinking today of the many things in life I view with somber spirit - aging, for one, with its aches and pains.  An economy that provides so many of us with a barely-sufficient wage making even simple pleasures a struggle.  You can probably make your own list of woes; we all have them, don't we.

At this time of year, we may be mourning the end of summer, but Nature isn't.  Nature knows it will be back soon and all is well in the meantime.  Nature invites us to take a fresh look at the woes we have, shifting our perspective to one of celebration.  You know, looking on the bright side. 

It is a cliche, but like many cliches, it guides us to a helpful realization.  Yes, aging brings unwelcome changes, but it brings a greater appreciation of aspects of life we may never have considered.  If we cannot spend lavishly - or even easily, we can draw together to support each other in our journey toward greater security.  They may be wrapped in a circumstance we'd rather not experience, but gifts fill our lives.  Autumn reminds us to keep our eyes open so we don't miss a single one of them.

Wishing everyone a happy weekend filled with gifts.