Gulp!

Gulp moments are the ones that take you by surprise with an obvious emotional double take. It needn’t be as extreme as Bugs Bunny doing the noisy head shakin’ blur of a double take, but you are quite aware of the memorable moment.

I have one every year at this time. It’s always with the first red leaf I see. It’s been this way for 30 years. Why not before? I don’t know. But since that day I’ve had the same gulp moment at every first red leaf. We wait through the hard winter & spring for the warmth of summer and just as we get comfortable with the season…BAM!…a red leaf! It’s usually subtle & small, almost shy, hiding behind other leaves, trees, brush and tall grasses. There’s nonchalance about the way it lounges across the green moss almost ‘toying’ with you. It doesn’t even have to wait for a first frost or temperature change. “Do you see me?” it says in a subtle thought aimed your way. Maybe you catch the thought, maybe you don’t. It’s a reminder that time is fleeting.

It’s capable of putting your head in a spin. Did I enjoy my summer? Did I enjoy it enough? Is there still time to cram some fun in? Did the kids have fun? Did I visit every BBQ I wanted to? Did all the family summer obligations get done? Didn’t the sun set at 9pm last week and now it’s setting at 7:30? Where did the time go?

You see, it leaves (pun intended) you with so many questions. There’s so much time to enjoy life ahead of you, but we have to shift gears into another season. Change is constant.

This year had an early spring and the seasons following have had a similar effect. I may be writing this today, but I found ‘the leaf’ 2 weeks ago, hoping it wouldn’t be an omen for an early fall & winter.  So, before you go outside today, take my word for it, they’re out there…the ‘leaves’ that is. Don’t waste a moment wondering or worrying about what’s left of the summer. Go out & enjoy it now!

Cathy