The time of year for new beginnings
Can you feel it? Can you see it?
The slightest bit of crispness has crept into the air. A tiny hint of color teases the trees. On the ground, small pumpkins appear in the patch. Autumn is quietly arriving, gently moving into our days and nights, simmering down the fever pitch of summer.
Earlier this week, I went on a morning run. As I finished my final mile, yellow buses appeared on the empty streets preparing to pick up kids and teens for their first day of school. Turning the corner, I saw two sisters standing with their mom in a front yard, clean shoes and backpacks, eyes wide with anticipation. I smiled to myself and wondered what questions swirled through their young minds.
“Is my teacher going to be strict?”
“Will I have friends in my classes?”
“When is the bus going to get here?”
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As my own kids headed off to school, I thought about all the students who would bravely make it through their first day, some thrilled with their teachers and classes, and others, not so much. I remember certain grades where it wasn’t what I expected or I didn’t have many familiar faces in my classes, but those were the years I grew the most.
Even though it’s not technically autumn, it feels like summer is coming to a close and for me, it’s been a wonderful summer — a perfect blend of excitement and relaxation. Some summer breaks feel too short while others feel long, but this one felt balanced in all the right ways and for that, I am grateful.
Along with school starting back, fall sports are gearing up, and I’m sure many of you are excited about evenings under the Friday night lights. I’ll be at a handful of football games, but with a number of runners in our house, we’ll be busy attending cross country meets. There is something uniquely special about this sport. Whether your child is out front leading the pack or trying their absolute best and still in the rear, parents feel a collective sense of pride in all of them. Sipping coffee from a travel mug on a cool morning while watching hundreds of young people run a 5K while chatting with friendly people is one of my favorite things to do.
Cross country is unlike other sports in that by its very nature, it eliminates drama and angry moms or dads. There is no complaining about playing time or wondering why their kid rides the pine while other athletes are on the court or field. In cross county, the clocked times speak for themselves, and even though it seems like an individual sport, there is a team aspect as well. All points combine to reveal a team champion as well as an individual champion.
As we roll into new beginnings, I reflect upon the past couple of months. Something I noticed myself doing more and more was turning inward, away from the noise, away from the chaos of social media and the 24-7 news cycle. I’m on a quest to resurrect or find hobbies, tasks and activities that offer a slow dopamine release, as opposed to the quick-fix dopamine hits that modern society shoves in our faces. Even something as simple as writing my grocery list on a scrap piece of paper instead of typing it in my phone’s notes app, makes me feel good. Following a recipe in a cookbook instead of online makes me feel good. Anything that takes me away from the internet or a device soothes my nervous system and that speaks volumes to me.
For those of you who have school-aged children, I hope they have a wonderful start to the year. While we adjust to all the newness, let’s take time for stillness, for stretches of minutes and hours where we move away from technology to connect with other human beings or with nature. In a world where everything is at our fingertips, let’s push it away, let’s resist. None of us will ever regret truly embracing the beauty of a moment or time well spent with our people.
(Susanna Shetley is a writer, editor and digital media specialist. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)
