Equinox
the REST of the week #74
It’s the rest of the week. It is also the September equinox.
This means that the sun is exactly above the equator and, just for today, everyone on the planet gets equal amounts of daylight and nighttime.
Of course, if you’re on the equator, this is no big deal—your sunrises and sunsets are pretty constant throughout the year. But for those of us farther away, it means that here on out, the days are going to either lengthen or shorten—depending on which hemisphere you’re in.
Here in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the Autumn equinox and we’ll begin tilting away from the sun with progressively shorter days and longer nights until December 21, at which point we’ll start heading back towards spring and summer.
Do you have a favorite season?
Maybe you’re in the tropics and your choice is limited to wet or dry. Or you’re in Texas and it’s either hot or cold (OK—there is a spring and an autumn, but they are so fleeting, you might miss them if you’re not paying attention).
My favorite season is autumn, and while I don’t wish summer away, I’m always delighted to welcome the brisk air, clear blue skies, and colorful leaves. There will be pumpkins and bales of hay and the all abundance of harvest time.
The trees that shade our home in summer will slowly disrobe in the fall, preparing space for the winter sun to flood past the naked branches into our living room windows.
There are lovely connections between these seasons of nature and the seasons of our lives. Take Autumn, for example.
The National Association of State Foresters tells us that,
“When trees go dormant for the winter, it’s because they’ve sensed a shift in levels of daylight. It’s at this point that they begin making changes at the cellular level to become more tolerant of cold temperatures. A tree’s metabolism, and other internal processes, also slow down in order to conserve energy.”
Basically, these trees rest. And, by rest, we do not mean they sit back and do nothing. These trees are attending to their internal life and roots.
The Ridgewood Tree Corporation explains:
“You may think your trees are dying. You may even think your trees are doing absolutely nothing in the winter, but that’s where you’re wrong.
Winter is a big growing season for trees… well, for their roots that is.
While your tree seems dormant above ground, the underground system of roots is busy at work growing, searching, and retaining nutrients to help get your tree through the winter and to prepare it for the spring. Even though we don’t normally see a tree’s roots, they play an important role in a tree’s life.
Trees bulk up on the soil’s nutrients and water during the winter months so they will have enough energy to grow buds for new leaves and flowers in the spring.”
Are you feeling a little leafless or dormant?
Perhaps it’s an invitation to slow down and conserve some energy. Maybe it’s an opportunity to put down some roots and attend to your soul.
Certainly, it is an invitation to rest.
May your rest be sweet,
Alicia