Autumn

Autumn is my favorite season of the year. Being from the Pacific Northwest, that means most of my Autumn is filled with rain and power outages, but there's something mystical about this time of year that just draws me to it.

As nature begins its slow waltz into the somber and dark world of winter, we can see the beauty that life and death have. While trees can flower and bloom in the Spring, stand proudly and beautiful in the Summer, there is nothing else like seeing the leaves changing as they begin to drop from their chilled branches. There is beauty in life, and there is beauty in death. It's the story of our lives; we're born, we live, we fade, and die, just like how it happens in nature.

Someday, I hope to have children. I understand that there is no simple way to explain the complexities of life and death to children... But I hope that the graceful spiral that nature dances as she is born, lives, and dies, will help me in explaining these concepts to my children when the time does come.

That all being said, I love the Pacific Northwest. I love hearing the rain pour down on the roof above me. Some find it distracting, making them unable to sleep. I find that it's extremely calming. When it's pouring, I'm much like the old man who's snoring.

One thing that I can't easily sleep through, though, are lightning and thunder storms. Ones in the Pacific Northwest are fine. But there was one in particular when I was visiting in Australia that made me uneasy and unable to sleep. It was extremely loud and bright, and felt like it was right over my boyfriend's house. Scary. o.o

-Manda-