Spring is when we welcome back the longer days and greater amounts of light all around us. At that time, most of us open up our windows and doors that have been closed up to keep in the warmth and let in the natural light from outside. It's a time of growing things and an awakening world. Spring also brings us more light to see the dust and clutter that has crept into our houses over the longer nights of winter while we huddled and rested more.
So, why have I titled this Spring Cleaning in Fall? Well, because as the light outside goes away and we head into the holidays, a lot of time and energy goes into keeping warm and keeping that clutter from creeping in, we settle into a seasonal time of greater darkness in the external world, but also, I think we settle into a time of greater darkness in our internal world.
We're busy at this time of year, but it's a different kind of busy than in Spring. In Fall, we prepare for the cold and the storms winter will soon bring, and the stillness of a world where hibernation takes some of our wildlife away and parts much of the landscape is coated in brilliant white snow. The lengthened nights and shorter days lead to longer times focused in inside things, and I don't mean dust bunnies. Around the holidays and the fall and winter months, it's almost inevitable that we will spend more time sitting around thinking. Whether it be about ourselves or what we can't get done because it's dark or whatever, this time of introspection is a difficult and alarming time for a lot of people.
What I really want to say is, we're all about to get locked up inside our own heads more than usual and that's sometimes a really lonely place. So, I just want to tell you you're not alone. We're all doing this together. If you don't like the clutter, there's nothing wrong with doing some Spring cleaning in there as long as you're stuck with yourself. As the leaves change, and the days get shorter, know that Spring is just around the corner. Know that the silence of winter isn't meant to be stark, but is simple and beautiful. And if these just aren't seasons that you do well with, know that in Australia, it's Spring, you can totally avoid Fall if you're willing to travel.