September may be the most beautiful time of the year in New England. Typically, the humid weather starts to subside, and the dry, crisp, and cool weather welcomes us each morning. The foliage begins to change bringing a beautiful array of colors across the landscape. Football season kicks off, and it’s time for pumpkin flavored coffee and apple cider donuts. Fall is a reminder that change is on the way.
Change is often very hard, whether it’s a new job, moving to new town, or even a change in your daily routine. I know that I’ve really missed having some normal routines over the past year and a half since the Covid pandemic began. There are days when I wonder if we will ever fully return to normal, and now I’m beginning to think that we won’t. After all there is no going back in life, we don’t get a “re-do” and there are no second chances. Life only moves in one direction.
Sometimes this can be very difficult to process. Perhaps we miss the good ole’ days and long for times when things seemed better. Back when we were younger, healthier, and probably a few pounds lighter. Those glory days may have passed us by. With all that is going on in the world, some days it can be hard to stay optimistic. So how do we try to stay positive while dealing with a pandemic, with politics and social media out of control, and with frustrations over world events?
As we shift into the fall season and think about the challenges of life, I am struck by the idea of living in a community. If you live at one of our locations, I think you are very fortunate. You have friends and neighbors close by, and others that chose to live where you do, likely for the same reasons. You have an opportunity to be a part of a group, and I think there is great value in that. When the world at large seems to be falling apart, perhaps we can lean on our community for support. That may be our family and friends, or perhaps a church or group that you are a part of, or maybe that’s even the clerk at the grocery store that you see every week, or someone at the coffee shop you know. If you are missing your routine, if you are struggling with the pandemic, or with life in general, reach out to those who are close. Be a good friend, take a few minutes to talk with someone, look to help a neighbor, and be a part of your community.
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
- Helen Keller
