Fall & Love

Let’s be a bit cliché for a moment. Autumn is here. It’s the best, most romantic, most beautiful time of the year. In my world, anyway. It brings me joy. Sheer joy. Not only because the most attractive elements of my wardrobe come out to play, but also because newness abounds in wondrous ways. Chilly mornings welcomed with stunning sunrises, accompanied by robust and aromatic notes of the finest espresso in my beat up mug, set the tone for the day. It’s life at its finest.

It’s another season to grow, explore, and give thanks.

I didn’t think I’d be ready for embrace this particular equinox, but as I reflected in singularity this past weekend, I came to a serene moment of accepting what’s been. And accepting my realities helped me smile and press forward. I really have no choice. Though, if left to my own devices, I’d be stuck in the beginning of this year when things seemed so bleak.

And then everything changed in mid-summer, amidst some refined laser-focusing on my goals. When I realigned my purpose, those things I had committed to really enjoin, started blooming.

The “TODAY” show called. Twice. And that single moment in my work life shifted my perspective, both professionally and personally.

I instantly found energy and renewed purpose with knowing that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.  And I understood fully how my God works.

The God that gifts us with these sights every morning. Fall mornings, in particular.

This sunrise captured by my sweet, precious baby brother last weekend in the historic and super colorful Skyline Drive in my home state’s Shenandoah Valley, really forced me to pause for a while and look at what a new day represents. We’ve all seen sunrises; we all love them; but some just touch us in a special way that change our lives.

One particular sunrise I enjoyed in real-time, last Spring, on the other side of the Atlantic, changed my life forever.

I fell in love.

But this one my brother shared with me, though I didn’t witness it in person, shocked me in a  way I didn’t see coming. The images forced me to reflect on many things I’d pushed aside. And then saw so many things I’d taken for granted.

These are stunning. Breathtaking.

And this is what I saw.

The newness of mornings is such a beautiful opportunity to start with a clean slate. A new chance to chase new things, much like new branches chase the sun for growth.

While Flanboyant Eats is not a place for indulging or boring you with the nuances of my personal life, I’ve grown in a way where I’m thrilled to share limited doses of my spiritual life that act as a conduit the to the beautiful things I enjoy.

Now that Fall is here, I’m expecting those things I laser-focused on earlier this year, to turn another leaf, as we say, and yield crazy good fruit — better than anything Spring and Summer offered. I have expectations!

So the stillness I enjoyed last weekend brought about all these exciting thoughts and plans to make good on my expectations. To see the beauty in every single situation, no matter how inopportune, inconvenient, or even unwanted. There’s beauty in everything. Really. If we just look, it’s there.

The bare trees, and in this particular case the known “dead” tree in the Valley, embodies some incredibly beautiful lines, curvature, and even a story. It’s been standing there for over 60 years. Imagine the many homes in which it lives in a frame? The Instagram pictures? The angles showing the viewers POV? Even in its bareness, it’s beautiful. And gives us something to enjoy.

If the fall foliage isn’t something to talk about yet where you are, it’s okay. The inevitable change is coming. And you, too, will have a chance to reflect and see the poetic changes to come and those benefits attached to change.

Part of growth is learning to enjoy the ebb and flow of things we can not control.

Seasons change for a reason.

And so do we.

I see my change and I love it, truthfully. I see the shadows, but the light is stronger, bolder and promises many things.

I’m excited about this seasons’ newness, both literally and metaphorically.

It’s inspiring.

These pictures are from my bother’s perspective. It’s his story.

I’ll share with you what I see when I go next weekend. Perhaps it’ll be similar, but we each walk our own path.

Happy Autumn, friends!

Eat well, love unapologetically, pray with true intention, and take care of yourself.

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