As summer fades and September arrives, you find yourself reflecting on the changes this month brings. For you, September has always been a favorite season, but this year, no longer bound to the rhythms of the semester, where time slipped past so quickly, you want to savor every moment.
Today was a reminder of the little hiccups that can disrupt our routines. After a good and drama-less day at work, you accidentally leave your phone in your pants pocket when you drop them in the laundry locker. you don’t realize this until you are a mile from home. So today you make another round trip to work. A minor setback, but a highlight of how easily a day can be thrown off course. The moment reminds you to slow down, be mindful in the now, here. You can be present nowhere else.
After the phone mishap you make space for 10 minutes of yoga and then a refreshing 4-mile run on the country roads, listening to 1960s music. These are sacred practices for you, body and mind, heart and head, a little nourishment for the soul through the inevitable chaos of life.
After your workout, you FaceTime chat with Syd, who delights you beyond words. The picture of the lovely meal she had for lunch that she sent you earlier, her own delight in her classes, the funny story about the doorknob breaking off as she tried to leave the bathroom, leaving her trapped and frantic to get to class–she make your insides smile.
Writing has become a holy practice for you, a means of grace, a sacrament. It’s a way you express in words and sentences a tiny fraction of what goes on in your head and your heart all day. So many times you have told yourself you will write more, you will start on that book, but this time you cannot shake the feeling that someone has called you to it. And if He has called you to it, will he not also provide you with things to say? Why worry.
As September unfolds, you wish to embrace and relish its beauty. You will walk slowly in the woods with your dogs who cannot walk at any other pace these days. You will take long runs. You will spend peaceful evenings on the porch with a good book. The crisp air and deep blue skies will remind you to slow down and appreciate the gift of the creation.
And you will write.
You are no prophet, but you sense that this September will be for you a month for reflection, growth, and connection. And wonder.
You wonder what your readers, if you have any, plan to do with their sacred September? You wouldn’t mind hearing from them.
