Beautiful Autumn

I had a friend in high school who refused to use the word “Fall” when talking about the season that comes after summer. And I understood why. “Autumn” does a much better job of capturing the beauty of the season. Becky and I were looking forward to Autumn this year, having come from a place where it doesn’t quite exist in the same way it does here. And Autumn in Chicago has not disappointed. It has been gorgeous, and unseasonably warm much of the time, in answer to Becky’s prayers! Even so, there's just something about putting on a sweatshirt or light jacket and going out into the crisp, cool air that somehow makes me feel alive.

In the debate over the etymology of the word Autumn, some believe it came from the Latin word auctus, which means “increase,” while others believe its root is auq-, and means “drying-up season.” Themes of life and death side by side. An increase in bounty simultaneous with the earth’s dehydration. A sacrifice, you could say, that brings life and sustenance. And most certainly good reason to be thankful.