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I hate autumn -- that is until now. Autumn was the dreaded finale to glorious summer days and a preview to the long months of winter. It was as if I skipped the season altogether and was already in the depths of winter.
As a child, autumn ended my freedom and heralded the start of change. It also summoned yet another birthday. I dreaded autumn more as each year rolled by and my depression levels worsened.
Whenever friends waxed lyrical about colder nights, sweaters and hot chocolate, I felt like a party pooper wanting to go home early!
This year of all years with all the changes that have happened to me I have come to see autumn differently.
For the first time – maybe because my children were so much more involved this year – I stopped and appreciated the beauty of red and yellow leaves. I saw a cornucopia of orange and gold as people decorated their houses with an array of pumpkins, gourds, garlands and scarecrows.
Instead of being a burden, I had fun with my witch’s hat and wig as I took my children trick or treating decked out in their fun costumes. It was a pleasure to see and hear their joy and excitement.
It wasn’t until I came to live in the States that I found out how big a deal Halloween was to people and how much effort they put into the occasion. Halloween was not celebrated in the UK, but has since become more popular in recent years.
I didn’t even consider getting costumes for my children when they started pre-school until close friends told me they would feel left out. And they were right!
I like the American use of the word “fall” to mean autumn. Somehow, without even knowing it, I have thrown myself into fall. Fall rather than autumn somehow befits apple picking, pumpkin patches and hay rides. And spending time with friends over a bowl of chili and a slice of pumpkin pie!
Because of my children, autumn has lessened its introspective grip on me and I no longer want to hide or rush through the season. And now, as we turn our attention to Thanksgiving, I truly want to give thanks for each special day I’m alive and I see the red and yellow leaves.
On an important note to end, I want to know what you did with all your Halloween candy. Did you eat it, hide it, toss it out, give it away, or something I haven’t even considered yet because another piece is calling me from the fridge!
SUSAN S. CHEUNG
Susan is a writer originally from London, England. She moved to Nashville, Tenn. in July 2008 when her husband accepted a position at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The family relocated after eight years in Guilderland, New York. And now they have a new home in Franklin, Tenn.
