Students are wearing socks with their Birkenstocks or Chacos. They are pulling out their puffer vests from the back of the closet and putting them in the front. The boots are making there way back on to people’s feet. The days of shorts are coming to an end. You know what this all means? Autumn is making it’s way to Hope College.
Oh Autumn. A beautiful season-one that I have a love/hate relationship with…
Love: The colors. The colors are so grand and makes nature look spectacular.
Hate: The temperature. Fall sets into motion a time in which it starts to get colder, and as a lover of the heat, this a sad feeling for me.
Love: Running. I love to run and there is no better time to run than in the fall.
Hate: fall means the end of my favorite season, summer, and the preamble to my least favorite season, winter.
Love: Leaves. I love walking on the fallen leaves and hearing them crunch beneath my weight.
Love: FALL BREAK! 🙂
Hate: The beach is still beautiful, but the activities differ from that of the earlier part of the year.
Love: Apple Cider and Hot Chocolate are drank more often.
All in all, I don’t hate fall. I actually really enjoy it. What is hard, is saying good-bye to the season that I love so much and fearfully awaiting for the cold winter to approach. A valuable lesson can be gotten from the changing of the weather: Change isn’t always easy for everyone. Some people are embracing the fall with rejoicing arms while others are wishing it away. CHANGE ISN’T EASY.
From my 19ish years of living, I have learned this about change, the best way to combat it (especially the fear of it) is through positivity. Now that does not mean putting on a false mask, but rather trying to find the good or “the loves” of the situation. To be realistic and optimistic at the same time. Change isn’t easy, but being the positive in the change is like be a ray of light in a dark storm.