All The Leaves Are Brown... And Gold... And Red...

 

Hi!

The start of a new season... and my favourite one at that!

As we fall into Autumn, as we step into the pumpkin spice, apple-picking, corn maze, no bugs, leaf-piling, as we take walks in the crisp air, feeling the need for a bit of a jacket, as we do all of this, let's take notice and be grateful for the privilege it is to be able to enjoy it.

Time slips by so fast, especially when we aren't taking the time to pay attention. 

So many around the world are living through what I'm sure feels like an endless nightmare right now.

The people of Ukraine, the reasonable citizens of Russia, the people of Iran, and the poor immigrants who were trafficked across state lines fuelled by the bad judgment, bigotry, and cold cruelty of a powerful, twisted few. 

There are so many who have been stripped of the privilege of walking amongst the beauty we, too often, take for granted. Let's not. 

I know it's become  cliche, but we really don't know what others are going through. We don't know their struggles, their dreams, what kind, or how deep their scars. So let's be kind to the people at the other end of the cash register. Let's show a little patience, a little compassion to everyone we encounter. 

We're all just doing our best with the tools we have at our disposal. The tools become more plentiful, stronger, more sophisticated, and more powerful as we grow and gain experience, but there isn't a person alive who has a full set that can handle all things, without issue. 

Back to basics. Don't hurt anyone on purpose. That's it. It's not complicated. 

Don't yell at people, don't scream at people, don't stop kids from playing in the park, don't get mad if you have to wait for fast food, don't throw a fit if someone makes a mistake, don't have a cow when you find people parking on a public street, even if it's on the street where you live. Let the kids skateboard, let sidewalk chalk, barbeques, and lemonade stands just happen. In other words, don't be a karen. Karening is a trend that has lived long past its expiry date. It's time for it to go away. 

Instead of trying to provoke the worst from each other, let's try to polish the shine in each other. Let's go back to making each other laugh, making each other smile. 

Let's quit wondering why people in the service industry aren't exactly jumping up and down to take abuse for minimum wage. It's not complicated. 

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Now, you'll have to excuse me, I hear some leaves calling my name...

May we really take in the beauty around us. It passes quickly, which makes it all the more precious.