Fall Reflections

Friends,

The transition from late summer into early fall is always a poignant time for me, a season of bitter-sweetness and nostalgia. The days grow shorter and more subdued from the exuberances of full summer. The leaves begin to crackle as they dry. Children board the school bus while others plod along with their backpacks full of lunches and new supplies. Adults submit to the renewed restrictions of full work days. All these and more always dramatize an annual and significant step in the ladder of our lives. 

In response to my feelings about fall, I recently wrote a fairly long memo to myself in my journal. I warned myself about not becoming too preoccupied with memories and prematurely letting go of my lifelong responsibilities to my family and various work and volunteer causes. Instead I asked myself to identify what I am looking forward to in the coming year that feeds my heart and a sense of purpose. At first I found the task difficult because I have been so focused, as have most of during the past several years, of living in the present, of surviving Covid and the strife in the world and our own political turmoil. But once I got started on naming what I can expect for myself in this coming year, I gained courage and conviction about claiming my relevance and excitement about my life, both recommitting to continuing existing projects and possibly developing some new ones. I tried to be realistic, of course, but I also can be surprised about what I am able to do when I am committed to doing so.

I’m not going to be very specific about what I wrote, but here are some outlines about what I intend to try to do in 2024-25.

I want to find more ways to engage young adults in my life. This includes my small and teenage grandchildren, of course, but how might I find ways to also be part of the lives of other young people, to encourage them to share their experiences, hopes and dreams, and then to have the opportunity (within limits, I hope!) of sharing my own wisdom and stories.

I want to continue to use my writing to offer my perspective on faith and values. At my most daring I assume a prophetic role of citing injustice and working to create change that better supports peace and justice and a stronger communitarian commitment to the common good. I believe my Quaker faith and practice offer me a strong foundation for this work if I can figure out how to translate it into the present context. The concept of promoting nonviolence is especially important to me.

I want to nurture a vital and fulfilling personal social life, primarily with small group, in-person discussions, in addition to limited large group Zoom gatherings. Again, my wife and family are central to this, but I have enjoyed a growing number of "brunch dates” with men friends especially. I want as much as possible to find a balance between time on the computer and time to read and be reflective within my daily rhythm.

And overall I want to be immersed in the awe and grandeur of life itself - nature, beauty, song, art, children. I want to be as physically, mentally and spiritually alive as possible. The national political turmoil, the never ending wars, the dire warnings about the future of the planet are, indeed, very real and often depressing to me. But there is another perspective on reality I try to hold, that there is a Power that is somehow beyond reason and faith, that ultimately defines Life in its ever evolving process.

And I will close by encouraging each of you to try this same assignment. What are your vital expectations for yourself in the coming year and beyond?

Peace,
Tom