The Busy-ness of Autumn

Do you ever get the feeling that time speeds up after the lazy summer? It's as though Mother Nature went on holiday during the hot July and early August days then suddenly remembered that she needs to harvest, seed, shake out her leaves and prepare for the winter. The mornings are cool and crisp, evenings grow dark sooner, and there just isn't enough time in the day to complete all there is to do.

Working for MDA, autumn has always been a busy time. There is, of course, the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon to consider. For 29 years, I've been a part of this worthwhile organization. The month of August is filled with activities and plans for the event, and then in September there is wrap up and deadlines and reports galore. There is also budgeting for the new year - offices, activities, growth and cutbacks....

For many, the start of school increases the excitement, activity and stress of the season. Some are preparing their children for school; others may be attending themselves. School zones, busses stopping, children darting in and out - it isn't a day at the beach, that's for sure.

But that's OK - for depending on where you might live, autumn is a brief season. Hot one day, chilly the next, it is merely a bridge between long summer days and longer winter nights. If it chooses to decorate itself in bright, crunching leaves, dried sunflowers and pompous pumpkins, so be it!