The Autumn of Our Life

I don't know if everyone reacts to autumn as I do.  The cold nippy mornings seem to put something in my blood that makes me want to bounce.  But I also seem to do some deep thinking at this time of the year.  Reflections take place, memories come forth, even some profound thoughts.

I've often heard that what your face looks like until the age of forty is not because of anything you have personally done, but after forty it is all to your credit.  Have you ever sat in a mall or public place and "people watched"? An older person's face can tell some interesting stories: peace; worry/stress; bitterness; kindness; happiness; etc.

We are told that the beauty of the foliage in the fall depends upon certain environmental elements such as moisture, temperature, elevation, etc.  Is this an analogy of our facial future.  The trees and plants get their nourishment from the moisture and soil.  Where does our face get it's nourishment?

Let's look at this.  Our physical nourishment comes from food and drink.  Do we feed ourselves properly?  Are our physical needs being taken care of.  But how are we nourishing our mind, our intellect?  Perhaps that is as important as our physical nourishment. 

Are soap operas and trashy novels the junk food we feed our minds, hoping it can survive and radiate energy with that diet?

Do negative thoughts provide negative words and actions.  We've all seen the ugly, brown leaf among the yellow, orange and red ones, and on the same tree.  Did that leaf not get the same nourishment?

Overindulgence seems to cause clogging of the thought process.  After eating until you are stuffed, can you think sharply and quickly? Are you quick to react?

Spiritual goals and aspirations need to be nourished by a proper spiritual diet - worship, study, contemplation, prayer.

Don't you think that this nourishment would cause a beautiful and glowing autumn in our lives. Think of the sparkle and beauty which would be apparent not only on our face, but our entire countenance.

Nature has a yearly chance to show her beauties. We work towards ours every day because our autumn comes only once. We want to bounce and react to elements, but we must prepare to do so.  I ran across a quote that puts this into perspective: "I want to die young, as late in life as possible."