Fall is the time when the old oak tree outside my window sheds its leaves. Fall is the barrier between the light and the dark, a time of both hopes and dread.
Fall embodies a feeling of hope for all. “This year will be different,” we chant to ourselves. But, underneath lays the fear that in fact, this year will be just the same. Whether it is the fear that there won’t be enough money, that you won’t pass your classes, or that you won’t make the team; we all possess these fears.
Fall is the time when students return to school, refreshed with summer memories, yet dreading the long months of stress, homework, and tests that seem to follow school in its tracks.
Fall is the fight between summer and winter. Often, winter wins and we have to withstand yet another day of sprinting for cover, attempting to escape the harsh winds and downpours. But sometimes summer wins. On those days, light overwhelms the sky, and the sun’s warmth is felt again by us all.
Fall is weekend excursions to my family’s coast house. Fall is memories of chilly nights on the beach, roasting marshmallows over a crackling fire, under the angry, gray sky. We all have these precious memories of fall, yet they are often overshadowed by the negative.
Fall is a battle, yet also a settled balance. Its beauty comes from its unknown nature and blunt contrasts. We never know what the next day will bring, yet this makes fall different and makes us enjoy every hour all the more. Fall’s beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Like most things, fall can be magical if you choose to make it so.