It’s the end of August. How did this time of year get here so quickly? I will admit, I’m excited that autumn will be here soon! That may sound like sacrilege to summer lovers, but I’m looking forward to what fall brings: that sense that we’ve made it through the hot, steamy days of summer and can start looking forward to opening windows to cool autumn breezes and Mother Nature’s short but brilliant explosion of color. School is back in session, and on Friday nights, with my windows open, I can hear fall’s rite of passage: a football game in full battle, with its marching band, cheering crowds, and referee whistles at the nearby high school. If I’m really lucky, someone will have lit a few logs afire, and the wonderful fragrance of woodsmoke teases the air. It’s a chance to snuggle under quilts and duvets with loved ones—human or furry—and relax. Although many view autumn as signaling a time for hibernation, I find it a time for reflection, hope, and the promise of the earth’s continual movement.
This autumn, I’m hoping for so many things: a reemergence of kindness for one another, a greater sense of community across the world, finding and celebrating our similarities rather than excoriating differences, supporting our neighbors every day, not just in times of natural disasters, an end to harassment and bullying. Finally (and on a practical note), I’m hoping that the federal and state departments of labor, the Department of Homeland Security, the EEOC, the NLRB, and other agencies take a break from thinking up new ways to make operating a business more difficult! Enough already! We need time to prepare, update, and implement all the amendments and new laws that were enacted already this year. Can we have autumn before we start thinking about next year’s laws, open enrollment, and budgets?
One can only keep hope!
