Annette Gabriel

Autumn, season of my birth, season of golden- hued leaves some are crimson or russet, crinckled and fallen... These leaves and leavings showing that change is in the air - a crisp coolness a whisper of transitions- drowsy butterflies too soon gone. It is a time of festivals and olden traditions, of gatherings with food and dance of celebrations and abundance - a cornucopia of harvest, home and hearth. But also a preparation for the long winter when looking inward, contemplation and remembering comes forth. It is a time to think of legacies and the old ones of those no longer here and ask, how can we bring honor, pay homage? It is a good time to vow, make a promise to the self to remain true and live mindfully with passion to be as a leaf green, unfurled with youth's vibrance or golden, ripened, wizened with age.